IMAGO Manchester United are considering making a move for Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella, according to a report.

Man Utd are known to want to strengthen their defence this summer, with Cucurella a player they previously explored signing during the January transfer window.

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A deal did not materialise on that occasion as the Red Devils elected not to make any changes amid takeover uncertainty, yet it is a deal they could revisit in the summer, TeamTalk reports.

It is reported that Cucurella is "very firmly" back on the radar of the club as the new transfer period approaches, although it is stressed there are no talks ongoing at present.

The 25-year-old, who Chelsea signed from Brighton for EUR65 million, missed three months of the season following ankle surgery but has otherwise been a regular pick for Mauricio Pochettino's side after starting the first handful of games of the Premier League season on the bench.

Although capable of playing in the middle of the defence, Cucurella, who came through the Barcelona youth academy, has featured primarily this season as a full-back, largely in his favoured left-sided role but also on the right.

IMAGO - Marc Cucurella, Chelsea Cucurella to Man Utd: What's the point? A deal for Cucurella, though, only adds up if there are genuine long-term fears over the fitness of current left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, both of whom have been riddled with injuries this season.

Manchester United face a repeat of their frustrations with Aaron Wan-Bissaka by signing the 25-year-old. Across the last three seasons in the Premier League, the Spaniard has scored just one goal and generated four assists. While he has played centre-back during this period, this is still a poor record for a player typically cast as a full-back.

Wan-Bissaka's poor offensive output has often been lamented at Man Utd and is one of the reasons he is likely to be sold this summer. The former Crystal Palace player has just two assists over the last three years but has played fewer games than Cucurella.

According to data analytics experts SciSports, Luke Shaw is a considerably stronger option at left-back. He boasts a SciSkill rating, based around hundreds of in-game data points, of 104.6. Cucurella, by comparison, sits at 96.9.

Most puzzlingly, Malacia is on 96.6 - virtually an identical score. The Dutchman, meanwhile, has the potential to reach 110.8 compared to Cucurella's 103.

In short, there is little sense Man Utd conducting this deal. Cucurella isn't as good as Shaw, won't become as good as Malacia and offers the same problem as Wan-Bissaka, which is one the Red Devils are currently trying to solve.