Cucurella on the verge of joining Real Madrid
The deal is virtually done: around €50 million and a four-year contract. Mourinho wants him and Carreras as his left backs, leapfrogging Barcelona and Atlético.
Marc Cucurella is on the verge of joining Real Madrid.
More than that, the deal is moving forward at full speed. An agreement is practically in place, although for now it remains verbal. That’s a major step, but the most important part is still missing: the signature. All indications are that it will be a formality given the alignment between the parties.
Cucurella wants to leave Chelsea this summer. Even with the boost that Xabi Alonso’s arrival could bring, the club will not be playing in Europe, and the Spain international has never hidden his desire to return home. Barcelona and Atlético Madrid had both been moving closer to the player. Then Real Madrid entered the picture, and everything changed.
The move is now one of the hottest stories of the transfer window and is a direct request from José Mourinho.
That has been decisive, just as Mourinho has been in several other operations currently taking shape. He pushed for Denzel Dumfries and personally requested Bernardo Silva. In the same way, he has identified Cucurella as a priority target.
Mourinho wants Álvaro Carreras and Cucurella as his left-back options. That is the plan. A decision that leaves Ferland Mendy and Fran García walking a tightrope. Both are effectively on the market. Carreras’ future is not entirely secure either, although the club recognizes that any sale would be more complicated.
In any case, Cucurella is very close to becoming a Real Madrid player. The transfer fee is expected to be around €50 million and he would sign a four-year contract, although the length of the deal could still be extended.
Major investment from Real Madrid
The operation has gone from zero to one hundred in little more than a day.
Cucurella had been on Real Madrid’s radar for months, but he was one name among many. Mourinho’s preference tipped the scales decisively in his favor. Once that happened, Real Madrid moved aggressively.
Chelsea’s asking price was around €50 million, and that remains the figure at the center of the verbal agreement, as first reported by Fabrizio Romano. No haggling, no attempts to drive down the price. Pay the fee and complete the signing.
While some details remain to be finalized and the final figure could rise slightly above €50 million, it is essentially the same amount Real Madrid paid for Carreras last summer.
Barcelona or Atlético for Cucurella?
Whether Cucurella would go to Barcelona or Atlético appeared to have been the big question for weeks.
Whenever reporters asked about his future, Cucurella maintained a poker face.
“Pass,” he replied recently during an interview with El Partidazo.
One thing, however, was clear: he wanted to return to Spain. That was his priority and his biggest desire. Barcelona and Atlético had both begun making exploratory moves through conversations, contacts and informal approaches. For a time, it looked like a straight battle between the two clubs.
Then Real Madrid entered the race. And everything changed.
Three left backs on the market
The deal helps clarify Real Madrid’s situation at left back.
The club is listening to offers for Carreras, Mendy and Fran García. Real Madrid accepts that selling Mendy will be difficult given his injury situation, with the Frenchman not expected back until around November.
Carreras remains a Mourinho favorite, but he is not considered untouchable. If a strong offer arrives, the club would consider it, although it is difficult to imagine a bid that would justify moving him so soon after his arrival.
The player most likely to attract significant interest is Fran García. His future was already due to be addressed this summer, with his contract running until 2027. If Real Madrid was going to cash in, now would be the logical moment. The alternative would be a renewal, but that currently appears unlikely.
From La Masia to the Bernabéu
Cucurella turns 28 next month. He stands 5-foot-8 and is under contract with Chelsea through 2029. Any deal depended on reaching a financial agreement, and that hurdle appears to have been cleared.
He joined Barcelona’s academy from Espanyol shortly before turning 14 and spent four years there before beginning a journey that took him through Eibar, Getafe, Brighton and Chelsea, who paid €65 million to sign him.
Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, Cucurella has made 163 appearances, won the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Conference League, and established himself as a key figure for Spain.
The most important step remains the signature, but the foundations are already in place. Real Madrid, Chelsea and Cucurella have reached what is effectively a full agreement, albeit still verbal.
It has been a negotiation that moved at remarkable speed, and one in which Mourinho has played a decisive role.
The Bernabéu is calling.
The deal is expected to cost around €50 million.
The countdown has begun.
Cucurella is on the verge of joining Real Madrid.
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