Cucurella joins Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries and Bernardo Silva as Madrid’s summer signings so far in what is an incredible transfer haul for the Spanish giants.
The former Chelsea full-back has committed to a lucrative six-year contract at the Santiago Bernabeu in a move that moved quickly this month as an agreement between two sides was reached quickly.
Speaking on the move, the defender who is representing Spain at the World Cup, revealed that it was harder than expected to wave goodbye to West London.
“Why choose Real Madrid? Well, I think it's been seen many times in their historic comebacks. I think they have a mystique... I don't know how to put it, it's unpredictable.
“If you had asked me a few months ago, I would probably have told you I didn’t expect to leave Chelsea. I was very happy there, my family too. But in life and football sometimes you need to change and start chapters you did not expect.
“It’s not easy to leave Chelsea. I lived there for four years and I think I arrived as a young kid. I dreamt of winning trophies and Chelsea gave me the chance. I’m very grateful to what they gave me. But the challenge now is bigger.
“I can come back to my country and play for Real Madrid which is one of the best clubs in the world. It was not an easy decision but the right one for me and my family.”
Cucurella will remain with Spain for the duration of their World Cup campaign before returning to Madrid for pre-season integration under new manager Jose Mourinho.