Marc Cucurella broke the silence on his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, providing a wide-ranging interview with El Mundo from the Spain national team camp in America during the 2026 World Cup group stage. Cucurella said he was happy at Chelsea, and that he’s grateful for his time there. However, he believed that now is the time for a new chapter, and a new challenge in his life, and this next step resides in his homeland of Spain. Cucurella chose Real Madrid over Atletico Madrid and his boyhood club of FC Barcelona.
💙👋🏼 Marc Cucurella: “It’s not easy to leave Chelsea. I am very grateful for everything Chelsea has given me…
…but the step I take now is bigger: I return to my country and to a great club”. pic.twitter.com/HBGOGSw9k1
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 18, 2026
As you can imagine, there was a lot of backlash against Cucurella on that second one. According to reports, Chelsea are content to fill the Cucurella void in-house, instead of hitting the transfer market for a new left back. Xabi Alonso is good with letting young Dutchman Jorrel Hato take over the position.
So with Cucurella himself confirming his move to Real Madrid, will Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández be joining him?
Enzo obviously wants the move, as he’s said so publicly.
No approach he has been made to Chelsea by Madrid though, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. According to Marca, this is about to change, as the 25-year-old Argentine is their top transfer priority in the midfield. Recently installed manager Jose Mourinho, according to the report, is going to submit a formal request to go sign Fernandez.
He won’t come cheap though, as the southwest London club reportedly want to get at least €120 million in return. If this does actually happen, then the next transfer domino to fall coule be West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes.
The 21-year-old Portugese star is reportedly being considered as Fernandez’s replacement.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.