Marc Cucurella Sells to Real Madrid for €60million

Chelsea sold marc cucurella to Real Madrid for €60million, with €5million in add-ons attached. The move sends a long-time starter back to Spain and clears a lane for Jorrel Hato after his 2026 rise.

Cucurella Heads Back to Spain

Cucurella was keen to move back to Spain, and the deal was agreed quickly so he would have no distractions while representing Spain at the World Cup. Spain play their first World Cup game against Cape Verde on Monday, and he turns 28 next month.

He had been a mainstay on Chelsea’s left side of defence and attack for over two years after joining from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2022. The fee gives Chelsea a major return on a player who became one of the most dependable figures in that role.

Jorrel Hato’s 2026 Rise

Hato’s form helped shape the decision. Chelsea signed him from Ajax last summer for a fee in excess of €40million, but he made just two Premier League starts under Enzo Maresca in the first half of the 2025-26 season and had only nine appearances overall before Maresca left on January 1.

By then, Hato had played just 167 minutes in England’s top division. Under Liam Rosenior and Calum McFarlane, he went on to play 27 times, making 10 starts and logging 975 minutes in the Premier League.

Xabi Alonso Takes Over

He was used mostly as a left-sided centre back with Cucurella outside of him, and he started away against Arsenal and Liverpool in big games, as well as against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Rosenior said in March that it is "scary how good he could be," and McFarlane described him as one of Chelsea’s best players in the second half of the season.

Xabi Alonso officially starts work on July 1, and sources said he is already aware of how well Hato did and likes what he sees. For Chelsea, the sale of Cucurella is both a cash move and a sign that Hato’s role has already changed the shape of the left side.