Who is Jorge Cuenca? The inside track on bold but risky new Fulham defender as 'deal agreed'

Fulham are said to be closing in on a deal for Villarreal defender Jorge Cuenta as they look to fill a vacant spot at centre-back. The Cottagers are getting closer to the start of the new season, but Marco Silva is now beginning to step up transfer efforts, and quickly.

With Emile Smith Rowe set to arrive on a club-record deal from Arsenal, it looks as though Cuenca will also be wrapped up in the coming days, with Fulham plugging key holes. As the Cuenca deal nears completion, we have taken a look at what you need to know about the centre-back.

The report

Fulham are said to have wrapped up an agreement to sign Cuenca from Villarreal in a package worth more than £6million. As part of the deal, Barcelona will receive a sell-on bonus of 20%. Cuenca is a surprise signing from the Cottager, who have needed to replace Tosin Adarabioyo at centre-back.

Cuenca will likely complete his medical on Thursday or Friday ahead of the deal being announced.

Who is Jorge Cuenca?

Jorge Cuenca Barreno is a 24-year-old centre-back who plays for Villarreal - soon to be Fulham. He was born in Madrid, and he did not land a professional youth club until his teens, penning terms with Alorcon. He broke into the first team two years later, and he was soon snapped up by Barcelona, representing the Catalan giants’ B team.

He made 65 league appearances for the B team but never made a senior appearance, leaving for Villarreal in 2020. The centre-back also had to be patient with the Yellow Submarine, completing two loan spells, with Almeria and Getafe respectively.

Cuenca became a more prominent figure for Villarreal in the last two seasons, racking up 39 league appearances, but he has not nailed down a regular starting spot. The former Spain under-21s international made 29 La Liga appearances last season, starting 21 times.

What will he add to Fulham?

Firstly, for context, it’s worth knowing that I’m based in Valencia and have a Villarreal season ticket, and have done for a few years, so I have seen a lot of Fulham’s soon to be new centre-back.

Cuenca, as you would expect from a player who has played for Barcelona and Villarreal, is good with the ball at his feet, and at 6ft2”, he is strong in the air. He is also a presence at set-pieces, scoring three goals from centre-back last season.

But there are some downsides Fulham fans need to be aware of. Cuenca has had a reputation at Villarreal for being a clumsy defender. He has often stepped up naïvely to win the ball and been caught out by diving in rashly. He has an aggressive style that can see him make eye-catching tackles, but when it doesn’t come off, he can leave gaps.

Having said that, there is still a lot to like about Cuenca, and given the fact he is still only 24 years of age, Fulham will see potential in snapping up a ball-playing centre-back, and especially for as little as £6milion or thereabouts.