Cucurella said the process began with a call after his representatives told him the clubs had largely agreed terms.
“I had no doubts,” he said, revealing that the speed of the deal was part of its appeal. With Spain preparing in Tennessee, he wanted certainty rather than a prolonged negotiation.
Mourinho’s pitch was direct. Referring to Cucurella’s performance against Benfica, the Madrid manager told the full-back he could add “a lot to the team and the dressing room”. That personal intervention appears to have carried considerable weight.
Cucurella admitted he had not expected to leave Chelsea when the season began. He and his family had been happy in London, while the club had provided the platform for him to develop after arriving “as a young kid”.
Yet Real Madrid offered a different scale of challenge. The move also gave Cucurella the rare chance to join one of European football’s most storied clubs without allowing the uncertainty of a transfer saga to disrupt his international ambitions.
“I could keep my focus on the World Cup,” he said.
The transfer carries an added edge because Cucurella was born in Catalonia and joined Barcelona’s academy at 14. Some supporters will inevitably view his move to Madrid as a betrayal, although the defender said he remains grateful for his education at La Masia.
His family ties add another layer: his wife Claudia’s family are Madrid supporters. “Who would have imagined that her partner would be a Madrid player?” Cucurella said.
The next storyline will be whether he can turn Mourinho’s personal endorsement into a regular role at Madrid while helping Spain pursue World Cup success.