Chelsea is open to considering offers for defender Marc Cucurella in anticipation of a potential transfer move in January, according to sources cited by ESPN.

Despite being a £62 million signing from Brighton, Cucurella has only made his second appearance of the season during Wednesday's 1-0 Carabao Cup fourth-round win against his former club.

He has yet to play a single minute in the Premier League since Mauricio Pochettino took over as head coach in July.

Back in July, Cucurella had expressed his desire to stay at Chelsea and compete for his spot, but if he continues to see limited playing time in the coming months, it may prompt a change in his stance.

During the summer, Chelsea had been prepared to loan the 25-year-old to Manchester United.

However, the deal fell through because Cucurella had already played for Chelsea in a previous Carabao Cup match against AFC Wimbledon.

FIFA regulations state that a player cannot represent three clubs in a single season, and discussions broke down because United sought to include a clause allowing them to return Cucurella to Chelsea.

Reports from Spain have linked Real Madrid with a potential loan offer in January, and the prospect of returning to his home country is believed to be appealing to Cucurella.

United is unlikely to re-enter the race, as they signed Sergio Reguilón on loan from Tottenham after shifting their focus away from Cucurella.