Gary Neville takes swipe at Chelsea and Todd Boehly during Euro 2024 coverage

Gary Neville couldn't resist aiming a dig at Chelsea's Marc Cucurella as he appeared as a pundit during ITV's coverage of Spain vs Croatia at Euro 2024.

The former Manchester United defender, who is commonly seen on Sky Sports, is part of ITV's star-studded line-up for the tournament alongside the likes of Roy Keane, Graeme Souness and Ian Wright. He lined up with the foremost and the latter of the trio for the third game of the Euros, a repeat of the 2023 Nations League final.

The group, along with host Mark Pougatch, chatted before the match about Spain being genuine contenders at the Euros this summer. Despite boasting a squad packed with talent, including Rodri and Lamine Yamal, the bookies don't fancy Spain repeating their triumphs of 2008 and 2012.

And Neville admitted he doesn't rate their chances of going all the way if they persist with Cucurella at left-back. "I didn't think he'd play," he said of the defender, who started against Croatia.

"He's not been convincing at Chelsea; he's played a few games towards the end of the season. He's aggressive, he's tenacious, he's a busy little full back, that price tag still astounds every body, I think, still to this day. The Spanish defence has a lot of experience now, obviously.

"But there's something just missing from Spain that makes you feel like they're going to go all the way, and I have to say him being at left-back is another example of why we think that."

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Cucurella's performances for Chelsea have been a mixed bag since his move from Brighton. He has racked up 59 appearances for the Blues, with only 26 of those coming in the last season.

The 25-year-old is one of several high-profile signings following Todd Boehly's takeover that haven't quite hit the mark. Neville isn't alone in his shock at Cucurella's hefty price tag.

Last year, ex-Stamford Bridge star Frank Leboeuf voiced his astonishment at the defender's transfer fee. "With all due respect to a man that I don't know, the player is not good enough for Chelsea," he stated.

"It's as simple as that. It's crazy that they signed him for £60m or £70m, but we can see that he doesn't belong to this level."