Marc Cucurella Explains Why He Joined Real Madrid from Chelsea
Marc Cucurella joins Real Madrid from Chelsea.
Marc Cucurella has revealed he “didn’t hesitate” when the opportunity to join Real Madrid arose.
The left-back joined the Spanish giants on Monday in a deal worth €60 million (£51.8 million) it is believed. He is the first of three key additions Real Madrid have made this week with Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konate coming after him.
Cucurella made 163 appearances for Chelsea since joining from Brighton in 2022. He helped win the Club World Cup and the Conference League at Stamford Bridge, and assisted in 11 goals and scored 9 goals during his time there.
The 27-year-old, who had gone through Barcelona’s youth system, said that the transfer to Real Madrid was a no-brainer despite the speculation of a return to the Catalan club.
There were other choices, but when the Real Madrid offer came along, I didn’t hesitate,” Cucurella said to El Mundo. I think it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s an honour to play for Real Madrid and not many people can say that.
Excited to Work with Mourinho
Cucurella has already met with new head coach Jose Mourinho, who helped him come to the club. Mourinho won three trophies in his first stint with Real Madrid (2010-13), including a La Liga championship.
Yes, we were talking, and he said he was really looking forward to working with me, that I will adapt very well, that Real Madrid is a great club,” Cucurella added. He told me he wanted me and that’s it, I’m very happy about this confidence, I’m looking forward to starting to work with him.
Cucurella will be hoping to make an instant impression as Real Madrid seek to return to winning big silverware under Mourinho’s stewardship with several new faces joining the Santiago Bernabéu.
The Long Way Back to Spain
Marc Cucurella’s route to Real Madrid took him through five clubs and two countries. Born in Alella, Catalonia, he started out at Espanyol’s academy before joining Barcelona’s famous La Masia in 2012.
He progressed all the way through the youth system and made his first-team debut as a substitute in a Copa del Rey tie in October 2017. But with Jordi Alba firmly established ahead of him, first-team chances were scarce, and loan spells at Eibar and Getafe followed.
It was at Getafe where he became a genuine La Liga regular, and the Madrid club signed him permanently in 2020. A year later, Brighton & Hove Albion brought him to England, where he enjoyed one outstanding season and was named the club’s Player of the Season.
Chelsea paid a huge fee to sign him in the summer of 2022, and he went on to make 163 appearances for the Blues, winning the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Along the way he became Spain’s first-choice left-back.
His crowning moment came at Euro 2024, where he started every match, assisted the winning goal in the final against England and was named in the Team of the Tournament. He had already won a silver medal with Spain at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, completing his rise from La Masia prospect to one of the most decorated full-backs in the game.
Marc Cucurella joins Real Madrid from Chelsea: Why Real Madrid Wanted Him
Real Madrid do not spend big money on full-backs often, which tells its own story. Cucurella offers something rare: a left-back who defends with intensity and attacks with real purpose.
His energy is relentless. He presses high up the pitch, recovers his position quickly and covers enormous distances over 90 minutes, making him ideal for a side that wants to dominate games. Going forward, his overlapping runs and crossing add genuine width and creativity.
He is also proven at the very highest level. A European champion with Spain and a regular in the Champions League with Chelsea, Cucurella has played in finals and handled the pressure that comes with them. That winning mentality is exactly what Madrid demand from every signing.
Tactically, his versatility is a bonus. Comfortable as a traditional full-back or pushing on as a wing-back, he gives his coach the option to change shape during a match without changing personnel.
At 27, he is entering his peak years with his best football still ahead of him, and Madrid are buying a player ready to deliver immediately rather than one for the future.
What Comes Next
The challenge now is expectation. At Real Madrid, every signing is judged instantly, and a major transfer fee brings instant scrutiny. But Cucurella has never hidden from big moments, as his performances at Euro 2024 proved.
He will be expected to make the left-back spot his own and contribute at both ends of the pitch, just as he did for Spain. If he reproduces his international form in a white shirt, Madrid will feel their investment was money well spent.
There is also the matter of timing. With the World Cup on the horizon at the time of his signing, regular football at the highest level was exactly what Cucurella needed to keep his place as Spain’s first-choice left-back.
For the player himself, the move completes a remarkable circle. The boy who left Barcelona’s academy without ever getting a real chance is back in Spain, this time wearing the shirt of their greatest rivals and ready for the biggest stage in club football.
It is also a statement of intent from Madrid. Signing one of the best left-backs in the world, at the peak of his powers and with a major international trophy to his name, shows exactly where their ambitions lie for the seasons ahead.
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