Report – How Jose Mourinho played an integral role in Real Madrid’s capture of Chelsea ace | OneFootball

Real Madrid have secured their first official signing of the summer in the form of Marc Cucurella.

The Chelsea defender joins on a long-term contract, with Real Madrid expected to pay around €55 million, with €5 million worth of add-ons involved in the deal.

Cucurella’s deal was made official earlier in the day, just ahead of Spain’s opening World Cup match against Cabo Verde, a game in which the talented fullback starts ahead of Alejandro Grimaldo.

Jose Mourinho’s role in Cucurella deal

According to MARCA, the Cucurella deal was driven almost entirely by the club’s new head coach, Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho was sure about signing Cucurella. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

The Portuguese coach left Real Madrid in no doubt about who he wanted to strengthen his defensive options. Mourinho reportedly told the club’s hierarchy: “Get me Marc Cucurella. It’s him or nobody.”

Moreover, Mourinho personally called Cucurella to convey the same message directly to the player. “I want you in my project. It’s you or nobody,” the coach is said to have told the Spaniard.

Mourinho strongly believes Cucurella is necessary for his project and that the full-back will make Real Madrid considerably more solid defensively, an area that proved to be a major weakness over the past two seasons.

A signing that fits the new approach

Can Cucurella live up to the expectations? (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

The Cucurella deal is the clearest example yet of how Mourinho has fundamentally changed Real Madrid’s approach to the transfer market.

For years, Real Madrid made signings from a club perspective, prioritising medium-term planning over the immediate wishes of the coach.

The principle was to adapt the manager to the plan, rather than the plan to the manager. That philosophy has now been turned on its head, with Mourinho handed a genuine seat at the decision-making table, complete with a voice, a vote and real power.

Cucurella had been on the shortlist for some time alongside names such as Josko Gvardiol, Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie. But once Mourinho made his preference clear, the deal moved at an unprecedented pace, finalised in just a day and a half.