Why Marc Cucurella was so desperate to leave Chelsea and why the Blues were so eager to cash in has been revealed, and Enzo Fernandez could soon join his former teammate at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid completed a whirlwind move for left-back Marc Cucurella, with the Spanish giants officially confirming the arrival on Monday via a club statement.
The signing – worth €55m plus €5m in add-ons – is already the fourth made since the return of Jose Mourinho, with Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva sealing deals. Of that quartet, only Cucurella required a transfer fee.
It was no secret Cucurella wanted out of Chelsea, though the exact reasons why weren’t all that clear.
And on the back of the 27-year-old completing his switch, trusted reporter, Ben Jacobs, has offered insight as to why Cucurella left, and why Chelsea cashed in.
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Why Marc Cucurella and Chelsea parted ways
“Understand Cucurella expressed a desire to return to Spain for personal and family reasons,”declared Jacobs on X.
“Chelsea worked to find the best solution. €55m+€5m viewed as strong fee by the club.
“Jorrel Hato’s development last season was also a contributing factor in sanctioning the exit.
“Chelsea now want to add at least two starting-level players that can immediately compete in the Premier League.”
In other words, Cucurella’s switch to Real Madrid is a deal that works out perfectly for all involved.
Cucurella and his family return to his home country, Chelsea bank what they consider to be a big fee, while Mourinho and Real Madrid get a readymade and high calibre starter.
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Enzo Fernandez to join Cucurella at Real Madrid?
And before the summer is out, Cucurella could be joined at the Bernabeu by former Chelsea teammate, Enzo Fernandez.
Reporting earlier in the day, Jacobs stated on X: “Enzo Fernandez is keen to join Marc Cucurella at Real Madrid, and has made no secret of wanting to leave Chelsea.
“Chelsea’s asking price remains £120m, as revealed last month. Club calm about the situation, but will sell at the right price.
“Real Madrid are currently deciding on the type of midfield profile they want. Mateus Fernandes and Rodri two other names discussed.”
Providing their take on Fernandez’s future, the BBC claimed the Argentine could well become the next big name to sign for Real Madrid in a rapid-fire move.
They wrote: ‘Sources in Spain say the agreement [for Cucurella] progressed rapidly with Chelsea, and a similar scenario could now develop with Fernandez.’
Detailing what the move hinges on, you don’t have to look any further than the gigantic transfer fee involved.
They added: ‘Much depends on Madrid’s willingness to spend a significant fee on the midfielder, who is valued by Chelsea at £120m.
‘It remains unclear how much Chelsea are willing to negotiate, or whether Madrid would meet that valuation for the Argentina international, who is also at the FIFA World Cup.
‘However, re-elected club president Florentino Perez has hinted at a potential signing worth 150m euros (£129.6m), having had a bid at that value rejected by Atletico Madrid for Fernandez’s international team-mate Julian Alvarez. It suggests those funds could be put to use with Fernandez himself.
‘Well-placed sources say Fernandez is keen to leave Chelsea and join Real Madrid. Manchester City and Paris St-Germain have also been linked, but both are understood to have distanced themselves from any interest.’
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