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Cesc pleased as Como tie down captain Da Cunha with new deal until 2031

·By Paul Lindisfarne
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Cesc pleased as Como tie down captain Da Cunha with new deal until 2031

Como_1907/X.com

Como have tied down captain Lucas Da Cunha to a new contract running until 2031, with head coach Cesc Fabregas hailing the midfielder as a leader who embodies everything the club is trying to build.

The 24-year-old had been the subject of interest from elsewhere, with the club having rejected an approach from Atletico Madrid and fielded enquiries from Atalanta earlier in the window, but Como never seriously entertained the idea of a sale, and the Frenchman himself never asked to leave. The renewal was therefore something of a formality once terms were agreed.

Since arriving on the shores of Lake Como in January 2023, Da Cunha has made 129 appearances across Serie B, Coppa Italia and Serie A, scoring 20 goals and providing 15 assists.

He has been central to the club's rise over that period, helping Como return to Serie A after a 21-year absence before being named captain and leading the side to their first-ever Champions League qualification, secured in May.

Fabregas, who played alongside Da Cunha when he first arrived at the club, was full of praise for his captain.

"Lucas embodies everything we want to build at Como. I had the privilege of playing alongside him when he first arrived and, since then, I've seen him grow into a great midfielder, our captain and a true leader for this team. This renewal is fully deserved and I'm delighted that we'll keep growing together for many more years."

Da Cunha, who joined Como from Rennes via a loan spell at Nice, echoed those sentiments in his own comments to the club's official channels.

"At Como I've grown as a person and as a footballer, finding a family before I even found a team. The dream of the Champions League isn't a finishing point, it's the push to always want more. I'm delighted to have renewed with this shirt and I can't wait to continue this journey all together."

The move continues Como's pattern this summer of securing their key players on long-term deals, following a similar contract extension for defender Valentin Smolcic, as the club looks to build stability around a group that has overseen one of Italian football's most remarkable recent rises.