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Transfers: Cucurella leaves Chelsea for Real Madrid

Real Madrid have signed Spanish left-back Marc Cucurella from Chelsea on a six-year contract, marking the LaLiga club's first acquisition since Jose Mourinho was reappointed ⁠as manager.

The clubs did not disclose financial terms, but British media reported the deal was worth up to €60m.

"Real Madrid and Chelsea FC have reached an agreement for the transfer of the player Marc Cucurella, who will be linked to our club for the next six seasons, until June 30, 2032," Real said in a statement.

Real are looking to strengthen after a disappointing 2025-26 season, in which they ‌missed out on the ⁠LaLiga title and were eliminated from the Champions League in the quarter-finals. Club president Florentino Perez, who recently extended his reign by four more years, had promised to bolster Real's defensive options during his re-election campaign.

Cucurella joined Chelsea from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2022 for ‌a reported deal worth up to €72.9m, and went on to make 163 appearances in all competitions for ⁠the west London club. The 27-year-old endured a rocky first season at ‌Stamford Bridge, struggling for form and consistency.

He later established himself as a ⁠regular under ‌manager Enzo Maresca, often deployed as an inverted full-back, and won the Conference League and the Club World Cup in 2025. He has also become a key part of the Spanish national ⁠team since making his debut for them in 2021, earning 23 caps for Luis ⁠de la Fuente's side and winning the European Championship in 2024.

He is in the country's squad for the 2026 World Cup. In March, Cucurella publicly criticised Chelsea's youth-heavy recruitment strategy, saying the club needed to strike a better balance between youth and experience.

Chelsea finished the 2025-26 Premier League season in 10th place, ‌outside European qualification places.

![Antonee Robinson of Fulham in action during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Fulham at Emirates Stadium on May 2, 2026 in London, England](https://www.rte.ie/images/00248550-614.jpg?ratio=1.78)

Manchester United are considering a £28m (€32.4m) swoop for Fulham defender **Antonee Robinson** (above) as a cheaper alternative to Newcastle's Lewis Hall, according to the Daily Star.

Luke Shaw's contractual situation and the impending departure of Tyrell Malacia mean United are in the market for reinforcements, and Robinson's price tag may make him a more realistic target than the Magpies' Hall, who the Red Devils reportedly value at around £50m (€57.8m).

Arsenal have opened talks with Lille over Morocco midfielder **Ayyoub Bouaddi**, according to talkSPORT.

The 18-year-old, who impressed in his country's 1-1 World Cup finals with Brazil on Saturday, is also attracting interest from Liverpool, Chelsea and Paris St Germain.

Roma are prepared to make an offer to Marseille for former Manchester United frontman Mason Greenwood, according to Corriere dello Sport.

The Serie A outfit are hoping a package amounting to €40m will lure the England international, who scored 16 Ligue 1 goals for the French side last season, to Italy.

**Watch every game of the FIFA 2026 World Cup live on RTÉ with highlights on RTÉ Sport digital platforms and live blogs on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app**

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