Marc Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid came together so fast that he basically blinked and it was done. The Spanish left-back, who spent the last few years at Chelsea, is now officially a Real Madrid player after the club struck a deal that reportedly took less than 48 hours from start to finish.
Speaking to El Mundo, Cucurella laid out just how quickly things escalated once Real Madrid showed interest. “I think it all happened in a day and a half or two,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, it was much better that way – much quicker, with no headaches.”
That kind of speed matters when you consider the other clubs circling. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were both monitoring Cucurella’s situation. But he made it clear that when Real Madrid called, the decision was basically made for him.
Why Real Madrid over Barcelona
This part is interesting because Cucurella came up through Barcelona’s La Masia academy. He knows what that rivalry means. But he wasn’t exactly torn up about it.
“Life has different stages,” he said. “In this case, I’ve had to make an important decision and I have no doubts; I think it’s a huge step for me. When you’re a child, you dream of playing for the big clubs, and I think Real Madrid is one of them.”
He didn’t stop there. “It’s the team with the most Champions League titles in the world and I hope to win trophies with them and have a wonderful spell there. Playing for Real Madrid is an honour and not many players can say that, so I had no doubts whatsoever.”
His family felt the same way. Cucurella said he and the people closest to him were all on the same page: this was an opportunity they couldn’t turn down.
Jose Mourinho’s role in the deal
Jose Mourinho was reportedly pushing hard for Cucurella. Like, really pushing. Some reports even suggested Mourinho told the front office he wouldn’t sign any other left-back. Cucurella was asked about that directly.
“Did he say, ‘It’s either you or I won’t sign any left-back’? No, I don’t know if he said that,” Cucurella said with a laugh. But he did confirm the two spoke before the transfer went through.
“We had a chat and he told me he was really keen to work with me, that I’d settle in very well, and that Real Madrid was a great club. Then, that was it – he wished me all the best for the World Cup and said we’d see each other in Madrid.”
Cucurella said he’s excited to get started under Mourinho. The trust the manager showed in him matters, especially after a complicated spell at Chelsea where he never quite locked down a starting spot consistently.
Now he’s heading to a club that expects titles every season. And based on how fast this came together, he’s not wasting any time.
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