For proof judgement should never be cast in stone after a mere handful of games, or even a full season at a new club, look no further than Marc Cucurella.

The Chelsea defender’s redemption arc is a rarity in football, for he has achieved this turnaround without leaving Stamford Bridge.

A departure had been on the cards just one year into life at Chelsea, when he carried the weight of a price-tag he never asked for and almost joined Manchester United on loan in the summer of 2023, but two years on and the jeers from his own supporters are firmly a thing of the past.

Now he is a fan favourite, a “master of the dark arts” adored by the Shed End who currently walks into any Premier League XI, the Spain regular who was man of the match against Benfica before his star turn against Liverpool a

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