Gavi surprised by Cucurella's Real Madrid move
Marc Cucurella sealed a blockbuster move to Real Madrid on Monday, a transfer that has shocked Gavi and the rest of Spain's 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.
Cucurella, a former Barcelona academy graduate, joined Madrid in a deal reportedly worth €60 million ($98.1 million) from Chelsea.
The left-back had been linked with a move back to Barcelona towards the end of the season, but Cucurella claimed it was an easy decision to make the switch to Madrid.
He is currently at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Spain, and national team-mate Gavi said he gave no hint of a transfer happening, leading to shock in the camp.
"We only found out in training the day before, well, just after the session," Gavi revealed.
"No one knew. He had kept it quiet, the b******. We didn't expect it."
Madrid, with coach Jose Mourinho back at the club for a second time, is looking to end Barcelona's recent run of success after its coach, Hansi Flick, led it to back-to-back LaLiga titles.
Gavi poked a little bit of fun at Cucurella, noting that Lamine Yamal, who scored 16 goals and registered 11 assists in all competitions in 2025-2026, might cause him a lot of problems in the Clasico.
"Now he has to defend against Lamine," Gavi added.
"[Madrid] has changed full-backs a lot in recent years. It's very hard to stop Lamine – I hope he remains unstoppable.
"But it will be nice. I like Cucu as an opponent. He's tenacious, he's intense. He's a good signing for Madrid, and I am happy for him."
