‘Hopefully we can get it done’ – Thomas Tuchel aims to sign Marc Cucurella in time to face Everton

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel hopes that Marc Cucurella can be signed in time for the season opener.

Chelsea travel to Goodison Park to face Everton on Saturday evening and they have already made a splash in the transfer market.

Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly are their most important two signings but they still hope to sign Brighton full-back Cucurella in a deal worth around £60 million.

If they sign him before noon on Friday he could play on Saturday.

“It’s not done yet,” Tuchel cautioned. “The paperwork is in process and hopefully we can get it done before noon and Marc is our player.”

As part of the deal, 19-year-old central defender Levi Colwill is joining Brighton on a season-long loan, with some suggestions a permanent move was on the cards.

The German manager explained why the move is a temporary one, saying: “It’s a bit hard to judge him. He came back and there wasn’t a lot of time in pre-season because he got an injury. At the moment it’s very individual, and if there is the chance for him to have a good loan and develop and improve, we are open to solutions.”

Chelsea have also been linked with a move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Barcelona, who only joined the Spanish side last winter from Arsenal. A deal would see the two former Borussia Dortmund men, Tuchel and the Gabonese international, reunited, but he would not comment.

He explained: “We will not comment. There are a lot of names out there. It’s pure speculation and we will not get involved.”