Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has expressed his support for Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella amid intense speculation linking him with a summer move to Real Madrid. The 27-year-old left-back is reportedly close to joining the La Liga giants for a fee of €55 million (£47.5m) plus €5m (£4.3m) in bonuses.
De la Fuente's comments on Cucurella's future
Speaking ahead of Spain's World Cup opener against Cape Verde, De la Fuente reassured fans that Cucurella remains fully committed to the national team despite the swirling transfer rumours. 'I know all the players very well, I know their commitment and professionalism,' the Spain head coach told reporters. 'We've already experienced this at the European Championship with other players if you recall. We handled it with ease and normalcy so that it didn't cause any problems or uncomfortable situations.'
When pressed further, De la Fuente added: 'We celebrate if it's good news for Cucu. And if something else comes up during the tournament with another team-mate and it's good news for him, then we celebrate that, too. What is good for one of my players is good for the team as a whole.'
The Spain boss concluded: 'If he's happy and content then I'm happy and content. Anything I see that brings my players happiness makes me as happy as they are.'
Cucurella's Chelsea situation
Cucurella's future has been a subject of intense speculation after he reportedly handed in a transfer request at Stamford Bridge, following a public criticism of the Chelsea board's decision to sack Enzo Maresca and a perceived lack of experience in the dressing room. Several top clubs, including Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, and Manchester United, have been monitoring the situation.
However, Real Madrid, now under the management of newly appointed Jose Mourinho, have emerged as frontrunners. Reports suggest a verbal agreement has been reached, with the transfer expected to be finalized after Spain's World Cup campaign.
Just a day before the news broke, Cucurella played down the speculation, telling El Partidazo de COPE: 'Right now I don't want to talk about that. It's true that I'm very happy where I am, I'm very happy, my family is very happy. Whatever you do, don't drive me crazy [with transfer questions].'
He also spoke positively about Chelsea's new project under Xabi Alonso, saying: 'Yes. I've spoken with him and he inspired a lot of confidence in me. I've also spoken with [Alejandro] Grimaldo and Borja [Iglesias], who have worked with him, and they spoke very highly of him. The project seems very interesting.'
Alonso's stance on Chelsea exits
Last month, Xabi Alonso was unable to rule out the possibility of Chelsea selling key players like Joao Pedro, Enzo Fernandez, or Cucurella. He reassured fans that he would do everything to 'make a good team', stating: 'This is football, and we'll make a good team.'
