Real Madrid summer signing was ‘very close’ to joining Atletico Madrid – report | OneFootball

Marc Cucurella is officially a Real Madrid player, but new details suggest the Spanish defender was on the verge of joining Atletico Madrid before Los Blancos dramatically entered the picture.

According to journalist Matteo Moretto in MARCA, Atletico had already reached an agreement with Cucurella and believed they were ‘very close’ to signing the Spanish full-back. 

However, Real Madrid’s late intervention completely changed the course of the operation, allowing them to secure the Chelsea defender instead.

Atletico had an agreement in place

The strongest revelation from Moretto’s report concerns the advanced state of Atletico’s negotiations.

According to the journalist, the Spanish club had already reached an agreement with the player and were approaching the final stages of the operation.

Cucurella almost signed for Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

“The agreement was done. It just needed to be signed,” he said.

That situation, however, changed when Real Madrid accelerated their interest.

Once Los Blancos entered the race, the dynamics shifted rapidly. The opportunity to join Real Madrid proved decisive and the operation quickly moved away from Atlético’s control.

The result was one of the most significant transfer hijacks of the summer, with Real Madrid eventually completing a deal that will keep Cucurella at the Santiago Bernabeu until 2032.

Barcelona were interested but never came close

Notably, Atletico Madrid were not the only club monitoring Cucurella’s situation, as Barcelona also considered the Spanish international. 

Real Madrid’s quick movement helped them sign Cucurella. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)

However, unlike Atletico, Barcelona never managed to advance negotiations to an advanced stage, with the main obstacle being their tight finances.

Barcelona viewed the possible departure of Alejandro Balde as a necessary condition before seriously pursuing Cucurella, and without movement on that front, the operation remained largely theoretical.

As the World Cup approached, there was growing acceptance that any deal would require patience and lengthy negotiations.

Real Madrid, however, had no intention of waiting. Their willingness to move and meet Chelsea’s demands allowed them to gain an advantage over both domestic rivals.