Cucurella delay: Three alternative transfer targets
By James Fudge
Theo Hernandez
Avid Serie A fans will know the two best fullbacks in the division belong to Milan: Achraf Hakimi on the right and Theo Hernandez on the left.
The Frenchman was integral in defence and attack as the red and black of the city were crowned champions for the first time in eleven years, an important cog after Paolo Maldini courted him from Real Madrid in a £20 million deal back in 2019.
Never one to fulfil potential in the white of the Spanish capital, Theo’s qualities shone when trusted to attack as much as defending by Stefan Pioli.
His biggest strength is the ability to dribble at a phenomenal pace and that speed off the mark is the rarest quality that sets him apart from other full-backs on the market. His time in Italy has seen his performances mature with his defensive game getting better and better, mainly using his pace to his advantage, similar to Kyle Walker.
Those qualities are evident when he arguably scored the goal of the season running from his own box to score.
Game management is a weakness with his positional play can lead him to burn out as he is here, there and everywhere but with Pep in charge, he will learn quickly.
Five goals and six assists in 32 Serie A appearances are similar to Cancelo’s stats with the Portuguese on the right flank and Hernandez on the other, which could lead to a credible threat going forward.
The Frenchman’s contract is up in 2024 and Milan is desperate to negotiate a new deal with a much higher salary, however any resistance will be watched closely with European supergiants set to pounce.
A bid of more than £55million is unlikely to tempt the clutches of Maldini and Ivan Gazidis, so any transfer is unlikely but could be obtainable should City make him a target.
Likelihood: 3/10