Cucurella's Real Madrid switch confirmed - what do Chelsea do next?
- Published
Marc Cucurella's surprise move to Real Madrid has been completed quickly, with the £51.8m deal now officially confirmed.
The left-back, who joined Chelsea for £63m from Brighton in 2022, was understood to have been keen to return to Spain, having come through Barcelona's academy, but had been primarily been linked with Atletico Madrid or a move back to Catalonia.
The 27-year-old established himself as a key figure under Enzo Maresca, but criticised the club's hierarchy following Maresca's mid-season departure.
Cucurella was part of a core group of Spanish-speaking players who were frustrated by the situation and struggled to perform under the Italian's successor, Liam Rosenior.
It leaves Jorrel Hato as the only natural, senior left-back option currently in Xabi Alonso's squad.
What do you make of the deal? How do you reflect on Cucurella's time at Chelsea? And who should be his replacement?
