Chelsea made a mistake by signing £60m ace who is now worth 2x less than Olise

This summer will be a busy time for Chelsea, as Todd Boehly will be looking to show his support for his new manager, Enzo Maresca.

The Blues' squad is already full of talent across the board, but that won't stop them from looking to improve this summer.

Michael Olise is one of their priorities this window, and they have already verbally agreed personal terms with the Frenchman, according to reports.

However, there is currently a player in the Chelsea squad who is worth equal to Olise's release clause, and today, he is worth twice as much as the Crystal Palace ace.

What Chelsea paid Marc Cucurella

In his first campaign in England, Marc Cucurella was regarded as one of the best left-backs in the Premier League at Brighton & Hove Albion.

From his first 35 league starts to his last in the 2020/21 campaign, the former Barcelona player ticked all the boxes for the needs of a modern full-back, but he was already proving it before his arrival, when football analyst Jacek Kulig described him. “like a quarterback” and “a hero.”

So, after impressing as a versatile defender, in the summer of 2022, Chelsea signed Cucurella from Brighton for around £60m.

The defender has signed a six-year contract until 2028, earning a whopping £175k-a-week, making him one of the highest-paid left-backs in the Premier League, according to Capology.

What is the value of Cucurella in 2024

In his first season at Stamford Bridge, the number three featured frequently, starting 21 times in the Premier League, starting as a left-back and a central midfielder.

At times, Cucurella's defensive ability was questioned, with pundit Jamie Carragher saying he was “unable to defend” after the defeat to Manchester City.

Under Mauricio Pochettino last season, the 25-year-old started 20 games, and was benched by Levi Colwill at the start of the campaign, but there were signs of improvement.

Towards the end of the campaign, he featured in Argentina's best XI more than once, which may have saved his job at Chelsea beyond the summer.

However, as you can see, Cucurella's value since his move to Stamford Bridge has dropped, until he is worth just £25m.

This means he is worth twice as much as Olise, who has a release clause of £60m, which just goes to show how quickly he has lost his value and how he can continue to decline unless performance improves.

On top of that, it makes the Spanish defender one of Chelsea's most consistent starters, on par with Djordje Petrovic, for example.

In addition, it was recently reported that Chelsea are looking to sign a new left-back, suggesting that Cucurella's first choice could soon disappear.

Either Ben Chilwell or the Spaniard will have to leave for that to happen, though, meaning the £60m they spent on the latter looks like a huge mistake.

That's not to say Cucurella is a bad player and doesn't have a future under Maresca, but given his insane price, he can't be considered a good player.