Newcastle reportedly ready to battle for Barcelona defender Cucurella this summer

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Newcastle are keen on a summer swoop for Barcelona defender Marc Cucurella, according to a report by the Chronicle.

They report that after the young Spaniard enjoyed an impressive loan spell with Eibar in La Liga, the Magpies are keen on him to ease their left back woes.

Any deal for Cucurella will apparently not be too straight forward because Barcelona a complex loan agreement with Eibar and Borussia Dortmund, who will play in the Champions League next season, are also loitering with interest.

But Newcastle are in dire need of a starting left back and consequently look far more likely to be able to offer Cucurella first team action straight away.

The failed loan deal for Monaco defender Antonio Barreca may make some Magpies fans wary of a deal to bring in an inexperienced foreign left back, but Cucurella’s form in La Liga looks to make him a cut above the Italian.

As with everything at Newcastle right now, so much depends on whether Rafa Benitez stays. Current targets have likely been set by the Spaniard, and if he were to leave, the process of finding a successor and then identifying who he wants will set that process back significantly.

But Cucurella looks a decent prospect, and prising him away from Barcelona and getting him to choose them over Borussia Dortmund would be a good coup.