Chelsea have agreed a deal to sell Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid as Jose Mourinho completes a shocking raid on his former employers.
Fabrizio Romano reports that both clubs have reached a verbal agreement on a deal that’s expected to see Chelsea pocket a £51 million total package for the Spanish defender.
Madrid have agreed to pay around £46m, with a further £5m attached to performance-related bonuses, to bring the left-back back to his homeland.
Former Blues boss Mourinho was reportedly the driving force behind Madrid’s move for Cucurella.
Despite being on international duty with the Spanish national team at the World Cup, the 27-year-old Chelsea left-back has already agreed personal terms.
He is expected to complete his departure from Stamford Bridge after the World Cup.
Madrid moved quickly to seal Cucurella’s signature, with the Chelsea star also attracting interest from capital rivals Atletico Madrid.
The move will end Cucurella’s four-year spell at Chelsea, where he won the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Europa Conference League.
He initially joined Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022 for a fee close to £60m.
However, the Spaniard initially struggled to find his feet at the club but eventually established himself as a key player for the Blues.
The ‘fantastic‘ defender had initially hinted at leaving Chelsea in recent months following a miserable campaign in which the Blues finished mid-table.
The arrival of countryman Xabi Alonso seemed to have changed his mind about exploring a new opportunity elsewhere.
However, the prospect of returning to Spain was too strong to turn down, especially with Madrid luring him away from West London.
News of his exit comes just days after reports emerged that Alonso was keen to keep the Spaniard at the Bridge. It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will reinvest the proceeds from his sale into a new left-back.
The Blues have already signed Valentin Barco from RC Strasbourg. The Argentine talent broke out as a left back but spent most of his spell at Strasbourg playing in midfield.
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