Real Madrid have agreed a deal worth up to £51.8m to sign Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella once the World Cup is done and dusted, according to BBC Sport. And look, on the surface that feels like a lot of money for a player who has had a pretty mixed time of things at Stamford Bridge, but let's not be too hasty before we pull the player apart.
Cucurella arrived at Chelsea from Brighton in 2022 for a fee that raised plenty of eyebrows at the time, somewhere in the region of £62m. His first season was rough, the second was better, and this past campaign he actually looked like a proper top-level left-back again. Consistent, aggressive, decent going forward. So the timing of this move makes a bit more sense when you look at it that way.
From Chelsea's perspective, this is decent business. They bought him for more than they're selling him for, sure, but given how much money that club has thrown at transfers in recent years with questionable returns, getting fifty-odd million back for Cucurella is not something to sniff at. Todd Boehly has spent so much cash at Chelsea that even a slight profit feels like a win at this point.
For Real Madrid, it is an interesting one. They have Ferland Mendy as their recognised left-back and he has been reliable enough, but reliability and Real Madrid do not always go hand in hand when it comes to their ambitions. Cucurella brings energy, press resistance and international quality given his performances for Spain. Carlo Ancelotti tends to get the best out of players who just want to work hard and keep things simple, so there is a reasonable argument that this move could suit everyone.
The World Cup timing is smart too. If Cucurella performs well on the international stage, Real Madrid are getting him while his stock is high and their fanbase is already excited about him. If he has a quiet tournament, well, they have already agreed the fee so there is no getting out of it anyway.
All in all, this feels like a transfer that makes sense for both clubs even if it is not exactly the most glamorous deal of the summer. Let me know your thoughts.