Cucurella joins Real Madrid - will Fernandez follow? — Sport

Published 37 minutes ago

Marc Cucurella has officially completed his move to Real Madrid, just hours before he is set to play in his opening World Cup match for Spain, prompting speculation about whether his former Chelsea teammate Enzo Fernandez will follow suit.

The 27-year-old defender was the subject of a deal worth up to £51.8m on Sunday evening, with the transfer officially announced early on Monday morning.

Sources in Spain indicate that the agreement moved forward quickly with Chelsea, and a comparable situation could now unfold involving Fernandez.

Much depends on Madrid's readiness to pay a substantial sum for the midfielder, whom Chelsea value at £120m.

It remains uncertain how willing Chelsea are to bargain, or whether Madrid would meet that asking price for the Argentina international, who is also participating in the Fifa World Cup.

Nevertheless, re-elected club president Florentino Perez has hinted at a potential acquisition worth 150m euros (£129.6m), after seeing a bid of that amount turned down by Atletico Madrid for Fernandez's international teammate Julian Alvarez. This suggests those funds could be redirected toward Fernandez himself.

Well-placed sources indicate that Fernandez is eager to leave Chelsea and join Real Madrid. Manchester City and Paris St-Germain have also been mentioned, but both are believed to have stepped back from any interest.

It appears to be a case of Madrid or nothing for Fernandez, although Chelsea—under new manager Xabi Alonso—would also be satisfied to keep the midfielder, who recorded 15 goals and seven assists last season. He remains under contract until 2032.

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Why has Cucurella left Chelsea?

Cucurella's departure from Chelsea is an unusual one.

Just last season, the Spain international agreed to improved financial terms without extending his contract, a deal that was never officially disclosed by the club.

Following his victories at the European Championship with Spain, as well as the Conference League and Club World Cup at Chelsea, Cucurella seemed to be a key component of the squad under former manager Enzo Maresca.

However, his performance levels declined under Maresca's mid-season replacement, Liam Rosenior, and—amid a stretch of poor results—Cucurella criticized the managerial instability and the broader management of the club.

Unlike Fernandez, who made similar remarks in March, Cucurella was not formally disciplined.

Yet, despite stating in recent days that he had spoken with incoming boss Xabi Alonso and liked the prospect of playing under him, he has chosen to depart for Madrid.

Cucurella was quoted by Marca last week as saying: "Yes, I'm attracted to Xabi Alonso's project. I've spoken with him and he inspired a lot of confidence in me. I've also spoken with Grimaldo and Borja, who have worked with him, and they spoke very highly of him. The project seems very interesting."

For Chelsea, the transaction makes financial sense. They finished 10th in the Premier League last season, will forfeit significant revenue by missing out on European competition, currently lack a long-term front-of-shirt sponsor, and remain under Uefa scrutiny as part of a settlement agreement after violating squad cost regulations.

Although the club insists they do not need to offload players and will stay compliant, the sale of Cucurella enhances their financial standing. While it represents a slight loss on the £60m paid to sign him from Brighton in 2022, due to transfer fees being amortized over the length of his contract, it equates to an accounting profit of roughly £17.5m.

Additionally, Chelsea will have fewer matches next season. With Cucurella turning 28 next month and having three years left on his contract, this may have represented the last chance to maximize a fee for a player eager to move.

Cucurella was, however, one of Chelsea's most reliable performers over the past two seasons, and his exit will lower the average age of a squad that was already the youngest in the Premier League.

Jorrel Hato joined Chelsea from Ajax for £37m last summer

There is also the rise of Dutch defender Jorrel Hato, signed from Ajax last summer, who was one of the few bright spots in the final months of the season under Rosenior and then caretaker boss Calum McFarlane.

It will be interesting, therefore, to see whether Chelsea re-enter the market for a left-back, having already been targeting centre-backs, central midfielders, and a versatile attacker.

Although Chelsea have not formally confirmed a deal, they are expected to sign Argentine Valentin Barco from partner club Strasbourg this summer. Primarily a midfielder, he played at left-back for his former clubs Brighton and Boca Juniors.

There is also broader uncertainty among the club's defenders, with Chelsea already struggling to provide playing time for all their options. Without European competition, some players could become frustrated with a lack of opportunities, although it is understood that Josh Acheampong is not for sale.

Madrid sign 'winning mentality'

Madrid are set to sign Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, Inter Milan full-back Denzel Dumfries, and Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva.

This forms part of a rebuild under returning manager Jose Mourinho after a season in which they finished second to Barcelona in their domestic league and exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.

Asked about Cucurella's move, former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot told BBC Radio 5 Live: "For Jose Mourinho, that's the type of player he wants. Jose wants a player he can count on.

"His mentality has to be right and he has to have the spirit and winning mentality. For Real to go after him is not a big surprise because Cucurella is the kind of player who fits Mourinho's criteria and how he wants to play.

"Away from that, Chelsea have probably looked at it and thought: 'We've got Hato.' He's younger, very talented and well developed, and he has proven himself -especially in the final games of the season - that he can step up in that position.

"When Real Madrid come knocking, you are always going to listen. He would have looked at both sides - one club is not in the Champions League and the other is - so that may have influenced his decision."