Real Madrid, runners-up in the Spanish football league, have reached an agreement with English club Chelsea to sign international defender Marc Cucurella after the end of the World Cup, in a deal worth $63 million, according to media reports on Sunday.
The 27-year-old left back joined Chelsea from Brighton in 2022, having come through the Barcelona academy before later moving to Getafe.
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez appointed Portuguese manager José Mourinho, aged 63, as the team's coach this week, having previously overseen the royal club between 2010 and 2013. The appointment came after Pérez was re-elected earlier this month following two seasons without a major title.
The royal club is also preparing to sign French Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté when his contract with the Reds expires, while reports have raised the possibility of signing unattached Portuguese player Bernardo Silva and Dutch player Denzel Dumfries from Italian side Inter.
Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season after a string of disappointing results, and Cucurella criticised the decision to sack Italian coach Enzo Maresca in January.
Cucurella, who had two years remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge, won the Club World Cup and the Conference League with the Blues in 2025.
For his part, Spanish national team coach Luis de la Fuente, when asked about Cucurella, expressed his conviction that an announcement of a potential transfer cannot distract his player.
He said: