Chelsea are now closing in on the Spanish defender after indicating to Brighton that they are prepared to pay £50m to sign him.
Manchester City are keen on Cucurella, but do not want to pay more than £40m to take him to the Etihad and now look to be losing out in the race, with Chelsea muscling past them.
It is suggested that the nature of Manchester City’s approach for Cucurella left Brighton feeling annoyed.
By contrast, Chelsea’s talks with Brighton have progressed much more smoothly.
Cucurella is happy to make the move to Stamford Bridge and personal terms are not expected to be an issue.
The 24-year-old will add to Thomas Tuchel’s defensive options, with the German having targeted fresh blood in that area.
It is also expected that the arrival of Cucurella will see Marcos Alonso depart Chelsea to join Spanish giants Barcelona.
