Chelsea plan to reinvest in their squad by signing at least two top players this summer, after agreeing to sell Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid. The completion of Cucurella’s move to the Bernabeu, worth up to £51.8 million including add-ons, came on Sunday after talks had progressed at pace.
Cucurella's Departure and Squad Impact
Cucurella’s exit after the World Cup campaign with Spain will leave Jorrel Hato, 20, as the only senior left-back at Stamford Bridge. However, Standard Sport understands that Chelsea plan to add the money recouped from Cucurella’s sale to the funds they have already made available for the summer window. While they could end up making multiple signings, at least two are set to be starting-level talents.
Positional Versatility Key
Chelsea are known to be keen on players who are positionally versatile and are expected to favour those with such attributes once again. Hato’s ability to play as a full-back as well as a centre-back was a significant reason behind the Blues’ decision to sign him from Ajax last summer for £37 million.
Official Confirmation
Cucurella’s exit from Chelsea came after he became increasingly eager to return to Spain. His switch to Real Madrid was officially confirmed on Monday. A club statement read: “Everyone at Chelsea FC would like to thank Marc for his efforts during his time at the club and for the role he played in our recent achievements. We wish him every success as he begins the next stage of his career.”
Cucurella's Chelsea Career
Cucurella first joined Chelsea from Premier League rivals Brighton in August 2022 for a fee in excess of £60 million and made 163 total appearances for the club across all competitions, winning the Club World Cup and Conference League under former head coach Enzo Maresca as well as reaching an FA Cup final.
New Chapter at Real Madrid
He will now work under returning Real Madrid boss and Chelsea legend Jose Mourinho, having previously been heavily linked with a move back to arch-rivals Barcelona, where he began his career. Cucurella is set to join Dutch right-back Denzel Dumfries and Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate as new defensive signings at the Bernabeu, where ex-Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger recently signed a contract extension.
