Marc Cucurella completes move from Chelsea to Real Madrid in £52m deal | OneFootball

Real Madrid have finalised the acquisition of defender Marc Cucurella from Chelsea for £52 million.

The Spain international has signed a contract at the Bernabeu until 2032, ending a period of speculation over his future in west London.

His departure follows public criticism of Chelsea's management in March.

Cucurella had initially arrived at Chelsea from Brighton for £62 million in 2022, an early acquisition under the BlueCo ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, and was initially viewed as a successful investment.

Following a difficult start, Cucurella became key to the side that finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League under Enzo Maresca a year ago, winning the Conference League and Club World Cup.

He was openly critical of the decision to part with Maresca in January, claiming it “destabilised” the team during the second half of the season. He also criticised the club’s recruitment plans and claimed after the thrashing by Paris St Germain in March that the squad lacked experience.

Spain's Marc Cucurella during Spain training at the World Cup (Reuters)

He was one of a group of players whose performance levels dropped significantly during the brief spell in charge of Liam Rosenior, who was sacked in April after only three months.

Chelsea’s Spanish-speaking contingent were known to have been unhappy with the departure of Maresca and consequently Rosenior’s authority quickly waned.

Cucurella has became a mainstay in the Spain team during his time at Chelsea and is likely to feature heavily at the World Cup in North America.

At Real Madrid, he is likely to replace Alvaro Carreras, signed just last summer, while Fran Garcia also featured at left-back towards the end of last season.

Real, who confirmed the appointment as manager of Jose Mourinho last week, have been linked with a move for Cucurella’s former Blues team-mates Enzo Fernandez, who has openly courted the attention of the Madrid club.

The Argentina international has told the club he wants to leave but Chelsea will demand a fee of £120m for a player with six years to run on his contract.

Denzel Dumfries is another expected new signing and could replace Trent Alexander-Arnold after a slow start to life at the Bernabeu, with widespread changes expected under Mourinho this summer.