Marc Cucurella would be a 'brilliant' signing for Newcastle United this summer with Toon boss Eddie Howe tipped to help the left-back rediscover the form that saw him secure a big money to Chelsea only last summer.
After a poor debut season at Stamford Bridge - reports suggested Chelsea may be willing to Cucurella go for much less than the £64m they paid Brighton to take him from the South Coast to the capital.
Newcastle are in the market for a left-back and have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old Spaniard. Speaking on The Everything is Black and White Podcast, Chronicle Live's Newcastle United Editor Aaron Stokes felt a move to Tyneside for Cucurella would be good for both United and the player.
READ MORE: Newcastle United remain keen on Antonee Robinson
"If he is available for the suggested £30million then it's a no-brainer because if you sign him and get him anywhere near what he was like at Brighton, you're onto a winner. Any Chelsea player you can write off last season - they weren't at their best and were a club in crisis but Cucurella [moving to Newcastle] would be a really interesting deal and I would really like to see him at St James' Park.
"He was very good in Spain, came to the Premier League, slotted in straight away, and really he's only had one bad season. That was probably because he was playing the left of a back three where he doesn't fit the system, and playing in a back five didn't suit him either - let him play at left-back and go forward.
"He will offer a lot more than Dan Burn going forward and it would be really, really good but it just depends on whether the reports of £30 million are true."
Newcastle have been looking at Arsenal's Kieran Tierney and hold an interest in Fulham's Antonee Robinson but for Stokes, Cucurella would be the number-one choice.
Asked if it was between Scottish international Tierney and Cucurella, who Newcastle should sign, he said: "It would be Cucurella - he's got a much better fitness record. Now don't get me wrong, I like Tierney and they offer perhaps similar amounts going forward but I just think Cucurella would be a really exciting signing."
With the transfer window still in its first week of being open, things are expected to heat up in the coming days. Newcastle are hoping to make quick progress in adding to their squad with James Maddison and Sandro Tonali key targets as Howe looks to build a squad capable of taking on the Champions League next season.
Speaking about where United are looking to improve, Stokes added: "If you look at the squad and where it can be improved, it is at left-back. That's no disrespect to Dan Burn but I just think you want someone who is a natural left-back in that position. Then the midfield, even though it's been fantastic, they will want to get someone who is a deep-lying midfielder and can let Bruno go forward.
"Then if you're being greedy, another attacker and a back-up for [Fabian] Schar but the two positions they really want to strengthen is in midfield and a left-back."
The Everything is Black and White Podcast is an award-winning Newcastle United show brought to you by Chronicle Live - with several episodes published every week. You can find the podcast by clicking this link - or listen to the latest episode of The Monday Show in which Stokes and host Andrew Musgrove discuss the potential arrival of Cucurella and much more by clicking here.
