Marc Cucurella has become a standout performer at Chelsea since Enzo Maresca was named manager.
The Spanish defender has locked down the left-back position, making it tough for new arrival Jorrel Hato to break into the line-up.
His strong form has not gone unnoticed. Cucurella recently signed a new deal with the club, reflecting how highly he is valued within the squad.
Chelsea are also reportedly in talks to extend Moises Caicedo’s deal. The Ecuadorian midfielder has quickly become a key figure in the starting XI and earned huge praise from the left-back.
Marc Cucurella recognised Moises Caicedo’s potential after one training session
Back at Brighton, Cucurella and Caicedo first played together, and the defender quickly realised just how talented the midfielder was going to be.
Speaking to CFC Unlocked, the Spaniard remembered noticing Caicedo’s ability from their very first training session.
“Yes so I remember because when I arrived to Brighton he was on loan, I think in Belgium or something like this, but he didn’t play too much and we had the same English teacher,” he began by saying.
“So when I do the lessons with the English teacher, he explained to me that he did the lessons with one player who is on loan from Brighton who is very good player.
“Then I remember he came back in January and we play. We started training together and this is when he played his first game yeah, he was very good.”
The left-back added: “I think he was very young, but you can see that he has some different skills, like his tackling, how his brain works very fast, how he always can find the spare man. I always love this style.”
Moises Caicedo set to make his presence felt at Chelsea once more
Caicedo has missed the last three Premier League matches, and Chelsea had failed to win either of their previous two games before facing Everton.
There might be a positive side to his absence, though. The midfielder had been dealing with fitness issues due to how heavily the team depends on him.
His return comes at a good time, with Enzo Fernandez looking like he could use a break after a long stretch in the starting line-up.
The World Cup winner has been showing signs of fatigue, and Caicedo’s return should give him a chance to rest.
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