While some Stamford Bridge departures leave a bitter taste, Jose Mourinho may have helped get one of Chelsea’s wantaway players off their hands.
Marc Cucurella’s up-and-down Chelsea chapter has officially drawn to a close following his £51.8 million move to Real Madrid.
Arriving at Stamford Bridge from Brighton with a massive price tag, the Spaniard ended up enjoying a very successful stint in West London. Adding the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup trophies to his cabinet stand out as the highlights.
His exit marks a dramatic twist for Chelsea’s summer plans under new manager Xabi Alonso. But what makes it even more confusing is that it came just days after Cucurella publicly praised Alonso.
RATE 1-10: Is Marc Cucurella’s exit good business by Chelsea?
Jose Mourinho demanded the Marc Cucurella signing
According to Spanish outlet Marca, Jose Mourinho believes Marc Cucurella will make Real Madrid considerably more solid defensively.
He told the board: “Get me Cucurella, it’s him or nobody.”
It’s stated that the signing of Cucurella was completed in just 48 hours. It all began on Friday night, when Real Madrid made its first offer, although the operation sped up on Saturday with Mourinho’s personal call to the player, who ended up giving the green light to the deal on Sunday morning.
Who would you rather see at left-back next season, Jorrel Hato or Lewis Hall?
Hall is being linked with a return to Chelsea following Marc Cucurella's move to Real Madrid 🇪🇸
Split image of Chelsea's Jorrel Hato and Newcastle United's Lewis Hall
Credit: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside/Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Chelsea’s left back-options after Marc Cucurella’s exit
Internally, the Blues are left with twenty-year-old Jorrel Hato as the only natural, senior left-back currently in the squad. While Valentin Barco provides an intriguing option if he transitions back to defense from his recent midfield role at Strasbourg, Chelsea are expected to dip into the transfer market.
In terms of transfer targets, Lewis Hall is the standout, given that Chelsea sold him to Newcastle United a matter of years ago.
Elsewhere, Maxi Araujo, who impressed against Arsenal in the Champions League, is being watched by Chelsea ahead of a potential move this summer.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox