Chelsea's plan for superstar defender amid interest from Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr comes to light: Reports

Chelsea are reportedly prepared to offer left-back Marc Cucurella a new deal after deciding to close the door for him to move to Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. The Blues have made it a practice to reward their most consistent performers with new deals, and are set to do the same for Cucurella.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Cucurella will be offered a contract to extend his stay at the club beyond 2028, when his present deal will expire. The club considers the former Getafe man as a key player and hope to rely on him in the long-term.

Cucurella was linked with a move to Al-Nassr, where Cristiano Ronaldo and co. are looking to dethrone rivals Al-Ittihad for the Saudi league title. The Saudi giants are in the market for a new high-profile left-back, having failed to sign a replacement for Alex Telles since his exit.

Chelsea have seen the best and worst of Cucurella, who bounced back from a disappointing debut campaign in blue to become one of the first names on their teamsheet. The former Brighton & Hove Albion star is known for his tactical flexibility and newfound ability to pop up in the opposition box to score goals.

Enzo Maresca's side have been linked with a move for Dutch sensation Jorrel Hato, who will join the club as Cucurella's understudy. The move for the 19-year-old is not expected to affect the future of Cucurella, who played 54 times across all competitions last season.

Chelsea have offered Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson new deals in recent times and appear set to do the same for Cucurella. The 27-year-old has been at the club since 2022, when he moved for around €65 million.

Portuguese star leaves Chelsea for Al-Nassr, reunites with Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal international Joao Felix has completed his move to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr ahead of the 2025-26 season. The forward will play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at club level, having previously done so with the national team.

Felix joined Chelsea in the summer of 2024 from Atletico Madrid and made 20 appearances for the club in the first half of the season. He spent the second half of the campaign on loan at AC Milan where he struggled to make his mark, and his loan was not made permanent.

Al-Nassr have paid an initial €30 million for Felix, with add-ons expected to take the deal up to €50 million. He signed a two-year deal until 2027, the same length of the contract signed by Ronaldo this summer.

Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen