Real Madrid have acquired a rare signing from former Barcelona player La Masia

Real Madrid made a rare move into Barcelona territory on Monday after signing Spanish left-back Marco Cucurella from Chelsea, bringing in a player developed at La Masia in the club’s first acquisition since Jose Mourinho’s return as manager.

The transfer is one of the rare occasions when Real Madrid have signed a footballer with deep Barcelona roots. Cucurella came through Barcelona’s famous academy system before building his senior career elsewhere and establishing himself as one of Europe’s leading left-backs.

Real Madrid and Chelsea did not disclose financial details, although British media said the deal could rise to £51.8m. The 27-year-old player signed a six-year contract with the Spanish club.

“Real Madrid and Chelsea FC have reached an agreement for the transfer of Marco Cucurella, who will be linked to our club for the next six seasons, until June 30, 2032,” Real said in a statement.

FOOTBALL PLAYERS PLAY FOR BARCELONA AND REAL MADRID

1. Luis Figo

2. Ronaldo Nazario

3. Samuel Eto’o

4. Luis Enrique

5. Michael Laudrup

6. Luis Milla

7. Robert Prosinecki

8. Gheorghe Hagi

9. Bernd Schuster

10. Evaristo Macedo

11. Jesus Pereda

12. Josep Samitier

13. Ricardo Zamora

14. Alfonso Albéniz

15. Jose Quirante

16. Arsenio Comamala

17. Joaquin Navarro

18. Alfonso Navarro

19. Hilario Marrero

20. Walter Rositzky

21. Laszlo Kaszas

22. Fernand Goyvaert

23. Lucien Muller

24. Nando Munoz

25. Julen Lopetegui

26. Miquel Soler

27. Albert Celades

28. Dani Garcia

29. Alfonso Perez

30. Javier Saviola

31. Marcos Alonso

WHAT DOES CUCURELLA BRING TO REAL MADRID?

Real are looking to improve after a disappointing 2025-26 season that saw them miss out on the LaLiga title and crash out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals.

Club president Florentino Perez, who recently extended his reign for another four years, has promised to strengthen Real’s defensive options during his re-election campaign.

Cucurella joined Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022 in a deal reported to be worth up to £63m and has made 163 appearances in all competitions for the west London club.

The defender endured a difficult first season at Stamford Bridge and struggled for consistency before re-establishing himself as a regular under manager Enzo Maresca. Often deployed as an inverted full-back, Cucurella helped Chelsea win the Conference League and the 2025 Club World Cup.

At international level, Cucurella has become a key part of Spain’s set-up since his debut in 2021. He has made 23 appearances under Luis de la Fuente, won the European Championship in 2024 and is part of Spain’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.

In March, Cucurella publicly criticized Chelsea’s youth-focused recruitment strategy, saying the club needed to find a better balance between youth and experience.

Chelsea finished the 2025–26 Premier League season in 10th place and outside the European qualification places.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

June 15, 2026 5:00 PM IST