“But, at the same time, you understand that if a Champions League club comes with Champions League resources and finance and the player indicates there’s a desire to do it then it’s very difficult for us. “We didn’t want to sell him and we didn’t need to sell him,” said Potter. Potter insisted transfer talks regarding Cucurella have not been a distraction ahead of taking on Erik ten Hag’s new-look United side and feels the final deal is beneficial for all parties. The Seagulls have managed to soften his unwelcome sale by bringing Chelsea’s England Under-21 defender Levi Colwill in the other direction on a season-long loan. While lucrative, the 24-year-old’s exit just two days before Albion start the new season at Manchester United is far from ideal. “Our job now is to try to improve, to try to go forward and that’s what we’re going to do.”įormer Barcelona youth player Cucurella was crowned Brighton’s player of the year following an impressive maiden season in English football and was heavily linked with champions Manchester City before switching to Stamford Bridge. “Credit to the players because ultimately it’s them that play the game and get themselves in that position. “And the last three windows it’s around £150million worth of player sales we’ve made which is no small feat, something to be proud of from a recruitment perspective, from a development perspective.