Chelsea underwhelmed in the Premier League last season but it has been a promising summer for their stars away on international duty.
The Blues enjoyed a late surge in results last season to climb up to sixth in the Premier League table but it papered over what was a disappointing season for the London outfit.
Enzo Maresca has since replaced Mauricio Pochettino in the Stamford Bridge hot seat and the new Chelsea boss must have been pleased with what he saw from his players over the summer.
Enzo Fernandez will return to London as a Copa America winner after Argentina beat Colombia in extra time on Monday morning.
Cole Palmer never broke into Gareth Southgate‘s plans as a starter for England but he was superb for the Three Lions at Euro 2024 and capped off his tournament with a goal in the final.
Conor Gallagher also enjoyed England’s journey to Berlin, but the Three Lions fell short in the final to a Spain side that included Marc Cucurella – who was a surprise star in Germany.
Gary Lineker hails Marc Cucurella at Euro 2024
Cucurella was trusted by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente as the side’s starting left-back for this summer’s Euros and he certainly didn’t disappoint.
He started in six of their seven matches in the tournament and was branded a “titan” by Spanish media for his performance in the final.
Cucurella has also drawn praise from Gary Lineker, who saw a significant contrast between Cucurella’s role for club and country.
“He’s had a really tough time at Chelsea. He’s come here and some people were doubting him,” Lineker said on The Rest is Football podcast.
“But he was like a machine in this team.
“If you are comfortable in a certain system and playing a certain way and then you are asked to play in a different way like perhaps he has been at Chelsea because the club is a bit of a mess – then suddenly you’re uncomfortable.”
READ MORE: Rodri drops the truth about Cole Palmer after England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain
Cucurella actually enjoyed a strong finish to Chelsea’s league campaign after forcing his way into the starting lineup for the final 12 league matches.
Following a superb Euro display this summer, Maresca now has no choice but to include Cucurella in his plans for next season.
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