Real Madrid have signed Marco Cucurella from Chelsea on a six-year deal

Real Madrid announced the signing of Chelsea left-back Marco Cucurella on a six-year contract on Monday, with the move coming on the day he is due to play for Spain in their opening World Cup match. The BBC said the fee was 60 million euros ($70 million).

The 27-year-old could be the first of several signings for Madrid since Jose Mourinho was appointed coach last week and Florentino Prez was re-elected as club president. The prez has already said he wants to sign Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konat and Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries.

Cucurella, one of soccer’s most recognizable players thanks to his long, curly hair, joined Chelsea from Brighton in 2022, the year the London club came under its current American ownership. He established himself as one of the best left-backs in the world and helped Spain win the 2024 European Championship.

He is part of Spain’s squad for the World Cup in North America with their first match in the group stage against Cape Verde in Atlanta. Chelsea, meanwhile, are under pressure to sell some of their best players this summer after failing to qualify for any European competition next season.

Cucurella has also come under scrutiny after questioning Chelsea’s decision to sack manager Enzo Maresca in January. In an interview with The Athletic in March, he said: “The moment Maresca left, it had a big impact on us. These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I wouldn’t have made that decision. If you want to make a change like that, it’s best to wait until the end of the season.”

Chelsea struggled in the second half of the season, finishing 10th in the Premier League and losing 8-2 on aggregate in the Champions League last 16. Cucurella began his professional career at Madrid’s fierce rivals Barcelona and also played for Eibar and Getafe before moving to England in 2021 with Brighton. His move to Madrid now adds another major transfer to a summer in which Chelsea look to reshape their squad and Madrid prepare for further changes.

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With inputs from PTI

Issued by:

India Today Web Desk

Published on:

15 Jun 2026 17:51 IST