Chelsea are having yet another below-par season and find themselves currently residing in mid-table in the Premier League.
The London-based club are a massive 14 points away from the top four despite spending over £1b over the last two seasons on transfer and loan fees alone.
This figure is astonishingly high and puts into perspective how badly they've played since the arrival of Todd Boehly at Stamford Bridge.
Out of the many additions made by Boehly in order to try to make his club one of Europe's powerhouses once again, the vast majority have failed to make an impact on the club since their arrival.
There is, however, one signing in particular which stands out above the rest for being woeful despite earning a bumper wage.
Marc Cucurella's form since joining Chelsea
Marc Cucurella joined Chelsea in August 2022 from Brighton and Hove Albion for a fee which was worth around £63m.
The move came off the back of his first in England's top flight, where he performed above and beyond what was expected of him.
For his one and only season as a Brighton player, the Spain international managed a total of 38 appearances and contributed to two goals.
Although the stats may not showcase how solid he was across the season, he showed enough to get Chelsea to spend enough to make him the second-most expensive left-back in world football.
Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, the one-time Barcelona full-back has appeared on 45 occasions but, he has only garnered a total of two assists during that time.
His regular role in Chelsea's starting XI is largely due to the sheer number of injuries and time on the sidelines that Ben Chilwell has been faced with.
The England international has spent a total of 83 games on the sidelines since the arrival of the 25-year-old, which has resulted in the Blues relying on Cucurella more often than not.
To make matters worse, during their Premier League clash against Everton on the 10 December, Cucurella was himself struck down by injury and forced off the pitch early.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
His injury was so severe that he had to undergo surgery, which has kept him sidelined for the past couple of months.
As with all players who get injured, their salaries are still paid in full, which leaves clubs in a bit of a pickle. Hence, why now, the Spain international is bleeding the London-based club dry.
Marc Cucrella's total cost at Chelsea
After being at the club for around 81 weeks now, the salary Cucurella has received is eye-watering. Over the time he has spent at the club, the 5 foot 8 defender has gained around £12m in wages alone – raking in a staggering £175k-per-week, as per Capology.
Player
Wages
Raheem Sterling
£325k-p/w
Reece James
£250k-p/w
Wesley Fofana
£200k-p/w
Ben Chilwell
£200k-p/w
Christopher Nkunku
£195k-p/w
Enzo Fernandez
£180k-p/w
Marc Cucurella
£175k-p/w
Figures vis Capology
It would appear that such an outlay – which comes to £75m in total when including his initial transfer fee – has not been justified, with talkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara even branding him a "disgrace" following Chelsea's Champions League tie against Real Madrid last season.
This judgement came after Chilwell was sent off after pulling on the shoulder of Rodrygo in the box. The only reason the England international decided to commit the foul in the first place was due to the poor positioning of Cucurella for the goal.
This isn't the first time a situation has occurred like this with Cucurella, and it likely won't be the last. So, not only have Chelsea spent a near-record-breaking fee on the left-back, but they have also made themselves £12m lighter for a player who seemingly isn't up to the standard they expect.
So, it is without doubt that the left-back has bled the club dry and looks set to be yet another Boehly signing who won't make the cut in the near future.
