Real Madrid has crashed the party for Marc Cucurella.
With José Mourinho taking the reins at the Santiago Bernabéu for a massive squad overhaul, Diario SPORT reports that Madrid has entered the bidding to secure a reliable left-back. Ferland Mendy is sidelined with a long-term injury until the end of the year, Alvaro Carreras disappointed last season, and Fran Garcia is headed for the exit door. And the rumors say Real Madrid now views the Chelsea defender as a major market opportunity to fill that void.
Reports say Cucurella wants to leave Stamford Bridge after deciding his time in London is over, but his future is uncertain. Atlético Madrid spent weeks pushing hard for him, and Manchester City entered the mix in late May when Enzo Maresca targeted him as a priority to replace Pep Guardiola’s system. Neither transfer came to fruition.
While initial reports suggested Chelsea wanted between €40 million and €50 million to recoup part of their €68 million investment from Brighton, SPORT now indicates the English club is holding out for at least €60 million.
Barcelona are not dissuaded, and the interest from sporting director Deco and manager Hansi Flick is incredibly high. Flick loves the player’s technical and physical profile, and Cucurella himself could be prioritizing a return to his boyhood club.
He is reportedly willing to wait for Barça to sort out its finances. But the Catalan club cannot give him any firm guarantees right now. The main issue is that Barcelona has other priorities in the transfer market; the main one is securing a new center-forward following Robert Lewandowski’s departure.
Because Barça want to keep João Cancelo, in order for Cucurella to arrive, Alejandro Balde essentially has to leave. Balde lost his starting spot to Cancelo at the end of the season, but the 22-year-old has no desire to leave the Camp Nou.
Barça could alternatively look to sell Jules Koundé to free up funds, shifting Cancelo – who is two-footed – to the right-back spot. But any sale like that will be tricky logistically with the FIFA World Cup in full swing, apart from convincing the player and finding a good buyer, which is hard at any time.
Cucurella is himself also focused on the World Cup and originally planned to make a final decision after the tournament. However, if a massive offer lands on his desk before then, he might fast-track his exit. With Real Madrid aggressively pushing to close a deal quickly, Barcelona risks missing out on a player who desperately wants to come home.
