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Full-back moving back to Spain in £52m dealPlayer reveals he had telephone call with MourinhoMarc Cucurella has admitted that he had not expected to leave Chelsea and that his £52m signing for Real Madrid was done in a day and a half. The Spain left-back also defended himself against the backlash from Barcelona fans, insisting that although he was born and raised in Catalonia and joined the Barça academy aged 14, he could not turn down Real Madrid. “I am very happy,” the 27-year-old said – if maybe not as happy as his wife, Claudia, whose entire family are Madrid supporters.“It was all very fast,” Cucurella said from Spain’s training base in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “I got a phone call one morning. My people told me the two clubs had the terms mostly agreed and that I had to decide if I wanted to go there. I had no doubts. It is a big step for me, very important in my career. It all happened in roughly a day and a half. For me, that was the best thing, so it could be all done and I could keep my focus on the World Cup.”The full-back added: “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.“When this happens it is normally a very long process, and one that does not only depend on me. A lot of things are factored in, and the best thing that could happen was Madrid coming in to sign me so convincingly. It didn’t come out anywhere [in the media] and by the time it did, it was all done. Being at a World Cup while you have other stuff going on in your head it’s not easy. So I am very happy it was all resolved very quick so I can now be 100% focused on the World Cup.”Cucurrella talked to José Mourinho, Madrid’s returning head coach. “We had a chat. I was very happy. Having a manager like Mourinho calling you and saying he can’t wait to work with you gives you a lot of confidence. It was a quick chat, to be honest: I did not want to shift my focus away from Spain duty, but what I liked a lot is that he remembered a lot of things from the game I played against him for Chelsea against Benfica in the Champions League. He insisted that he believes I can add a lot to the team and the dressing room. That just gave me more confidence.”Asked about the anger from Barcelona fans, Cucurella replied: “I have to respect everyone’s opinions. I am very thankful for everything I have experienced in my career and what I learnt in La Masia. But there’s different chapters in life and I thought this was the right step for me. When Madrid comes for you, it is very difficult to say no. I did not doubt that this was the step me and my family wanted to take.“Pressure will be high, but when you move to a club like this what you want is to fight for titles. I am ready for that. My career has not been easy. Now having the chance to play for Real Madrid is a fantastic way to top my career off. [My wife] and her family were always Madrid fans. When she met me, I guess you stop living football as you did – as a fan – and start thinking more about what’s best for you because in the end this is a business and not everything is how you imagined. She will be very happy. Who would have imagined that her partner would be a Madrid player? She has been there in tough moments and now I am happy we can enjoy this together.”

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Spurs bolster backline with third summer signingDefender reunited with former Brighton head coachTottenham have completed their third signing of the summer after Jan Paul van Hecke joined from Brighton. Spurs made a move for Dutch international centre-back Van Hecke after a terrible 2025-26 campaign where Roberto De Zerbi’s team secured Premier League survival with a final-day home victory over Everton.De Zerbi worked with Van Hecke during two seasons at Brighton and earmarked the defender as a key component of rebuilding Tottenham. After two bids this month were rejected, a £52m offer was accepted and the 26-year-old has signed a long-term contract.Van Hecke said: “It’s a huge honour to become a Spurs player and when you join such a big club, it’s a dream come true. I already have a really strong connection with the head coach, who I’m looking forward to working with again. Micky [van de Ven] has also told me some great things about the club, so I can’t wait to get started.“I’ve been at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as an opposition player and now I’m looking forward to walking out there in front of our fans wearing the Spurs shirt. That will be a special moment.”After De Zerbi rescued Spurs with three wins during his seven matches in charge, the Italian warned lessons must be learned after back-to-back 17th-place finishes and the club’s majority owners, the Lewis family, promised to fund the required rebuild.Tottenham’s first focus has been on defence, with the left-back Andy Robertson and the centre-back Marcos Senesi joining on free transfers before Van Hecke’s services were secured to boost a team that have conceded 122 goals across their past two league campaigns.De Zerbi said: “Jan Paul is someone I know very well from our time together at Brighton, and I’m delighted to be working with him again. He is a strong, intelligent centre-back who is brave in possession and plays with personality. Those are important qualities for the way I want our team to set up.“Off the pitch he is mature, a leader and has a hunger to learn and improve every day. Jan Paul has made great progress over the past few years and I believe he can develop even further here at Tottenham Hotspur.”Van Hecke started his career in his homeland with NAC Breda before Brighton signed the Netherlands international in 2020. After season-long loans to Heerenveen then Blackburn, De Zerbi gave Van Hecke his Albion debut during the 2022-23 campaign.

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Midfielder is hopeful for trophy-laden spell after bidding farewell to Madrid and challenges Scotland to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in BrazilJune 2026 is a month Caroline Weir is unlikely to forget. She scored seven goals in two Scotland games as the team clinched top spot in their World Cup qualifying group, watched on with joy at 2am as Scotland’s men secured their first World Cup win for 36 years, and then her move to OL Lyonnes was announced by the eight-time European champions.The Scotland captain says the lure of playing for Europe’s most decorated women’s club made the transfer an easy decision after four happy years playing for Real Madrid.“At this stage in my career, I want to push on,” the 30-year-old says of joining this season’s beaten Champions League finalists. “I want to be competing to win things, I want to be playing with the best players. I would love to be up there competing for the Champions League. The way the competition now is so competitive, there are so many more eyes on it and I want to be in the final stages.“That’s never a given – it’s really tough to get to semi-finals and finals and then obviously to win it is so tough – but I want to be in the conversation or at least at a club [where] that’s what they prepare to be at, at the end of the season. They’re a massive club with a massive history as well, a successful history and lots of trophies. I want to challenge myself to play with those players and also the manager.”Weir says conversations with the Lyonnes head coach, Jonatan Giráldez, helped her know this move was the right choice. The Spanish former Barcelona coach outlined how he envisaged her thriving in his tactical plans. “It was interesting speaking to him,” says Weir, who signed a three-year contract. “We spoke about things he thought I was good at. We also spoke about things he thought I could improve, which I think was good for me to hear, and my style of play, [being] a No 10, being left-footed and just how he sees me playing alongside other players in that position, so we did speak quite in-depth about tactics. That gave me a good idea of what to expect.“He’s worked with the best players and won everything so there were a number of factors involved but it was an easy decision in the end.”Before pre-season training begins in July, Weir has three big things on her to-do list for settling into a new city: finding a good nail salon, finding somewhere to get her eyelashes done and acquainting herself with the best local parks to walk her dog – Parc de la Tête d’Or, near the Rhône, should be ideal. Weir, who had never been to Lyon before discussing her transfer, likens the city’s beauty to that of Scotland’s capital and says: “I know it’s like the food capital of France; I’ve been hearing the food is amazing. When I went there, it actually reminded me a little bit of Edinburgh, like a French version of Edinburgh.”Weir says, though, that she and her husband are “going to miss” the Madrid lifestyle. She leaves as Real’s all-time record scorer with 63 goals in her 125 appearances, won the club’s adoration and will look back fondly on her four years in Spain, where she finished as a league runner-up to Barcelona each season.“I reflect with very happy memories, on and off the pitch,” says Weir, who also holds the club assists record (40). “My only regret is we didn’t win that first title. But apart from that, how I impacted the team, I’m really proud of those statistics. Madrid, me and my husband, we were very happy there. It’s an amazing lifestyle, an amazing city. But I feel like that chapter came to a natural end and I was also ready to move on.”Bidding farewell to Weir, Real said the club wished to “express its gratitude and affection for everything she has contributed to our club, as well as for her professionalism, commitment, and dedication”, and she also received a personalised message on a signed shirt from Jude Bellingham. “Jude and I have spoken several times. We’ve always got on well and had nice conversations about the club and Madrid. For him to write that message – I would have been happy with the signed top – that message just shows how classy a person he is. He’s a great guy and that was a really nice touch.”The British duo could not meet to say goodbye because Bellingham was training with England before the World Cup, a tournament which is whetting Weir’s appetite for next summer’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil. After Weir scored a hat-trick against Israel on 5 June, then backed it up with four goals against the same opponent four days later, Scotland have topped their League B group in European qualifying to reach the playoffs, and will find out their playoff opponents on Thursday.After watching the men beat Haiti as a fan from back home in Scotland, Weir, named as the women’s team’s captain in February, says: “I’ve never seen so many Scotland tops. It is amazing. Scotland flags on cars, outside houses. It’s really special. It’s amazing to see that. It’s so inspiring.“Going to Brazil for a World Cup, it’s just what dreams are all about. It’s No 1 on my list of dreams. Obviously Champions League and club level, but I think to take Scotland to a World Cup is up there. We were speaking about it a lot recently and because the guys are there and just the experiences they’re having and how much the country is supporting them and we would love a bit of that. We’ve kind of completed the first step, getting to the playoffs, and then we’ll look forward to the playoffs at the end of the year. We’ll take it step by step.”

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Club triggered £34.5m release clause for Osasuna forwardHead coach keen on player’s versatility and paceThe Osasuna winger Víctor Muñoz will become the first signing of Andoni Iraola’s reign at Liverpool after the club triggered a £34.5m release clause, beating Newcastle to his signature. Muñoz will sign a six-year contract after undergoing a medical on Wednesday in Atlanta, where he is part of the Spain squad at the World Cup.Liverpool have been following Muñoz’s progress for an extensive period and sped up the deal after Iraola’s appointment because the head coach was eager to add his compatriot. Iraola spent most of his playing career at Athletic Bilbao, continues to closely monitor La Liga and Muñoz has impressed him.Manchester United and Bayer Leverkusen were also interested in the 22-year-old. Muñoz represented Barcelona and Real Madrid at youth level and those clubs also shortlisted him for a move this summer but elected to bid for other targets.Muñoz can play on either wing and as a central striker, versatility Liverpool are eager to have as they begin a new era under Iraola. One of Muñoz’s key attributes is his speed and a big part of the transfer strategy this summer will be attracting players with pace.The winger has two international caps, making his debut in March and scoring in that match against Serbia. He was an unused substitute in the draw against Cape Verde.Muñoz’s arrival will not affect the future of Federico Chiesa. The Italian was a bit-part player under Arne Slot but it is thought he could be a better fit for Iraola’s style. Chiesa, however, is eager to get more playing time and is open to leaving.Ibrahima Konaté’s move to Real Madrid has been confirmed, the defender joining on a four-year deal when his Liverpool contract expires at the end of this month. Madrid have also signed Marc Cucurella and Bernardo Silva since confirming José Mourinho as their head coach.

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Spain left-back will complete transfer after World CupCucurella had spoken out against Chelsea hierarchyReal Madrid have reached a verbal agreement to sign Marc Cucurella from Chelsea in a package worth up to €60m (£52m).The Spain left-back, who is preparing to face Cape Verde in the World Cup, threw his future into doubt when he criticised the Chelsea hierarchy during the March international break. Cucurella said the team paid for “inexperience” when thrashed by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, and he raised misgivings over Enzo Maresca’s departure as head coach.A return to Spain has been on the cards and Cucurella has agreed to move on after four years at Stamford Bridge. Madrid have agreed to pay an initial €55m plus €5m in add-ons for the 27-year-old, who will complete the deal after the World Cup.Chelsea will regard this as the right time to cash in on Cucurella, who overcame a difficult start after joining from Brighton for £62m. They felt his level dipped after Christmas and were encouraged by the form of Cucurella’s deputy, the 20-year-old Netherlands left-back Jorrel Hato.Madrid, who are revamping their squad after two trophyless years, are moving quickly after appointing José Mourinho as their manager and have bolstered their defence with moves for the Netherlands right-back Denzel Dumfries and the former Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konaté. They have also agreed to sign the former Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva on a free transfer.It remains to be seen whether Madrid look to do further business with Chelsea by attempting to sign Enzo Fernández. The Argentina midfielder joined Cucurella in speaking out against the hierarchy towards the end of the season. Fernández has made little secret of his desire to join Madrid but Chelsea will look for more than £100m for the former Benfica midfielder.Chelsea, who missed out on qualification for Europe, will also be guided by the wishes of their new manager, Xabi Alonso. They are not under pressure to make sales but Fernández, unlike Cole Palmer and Moisés Caicedo, is not regarded as one of the club’s untouchables.

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Real Madrid also among midfielder’s potential suitorsCastellanos an option for Everton amid likely exitsManchester United are leading the race to sign Mateus Fernandes from West Ham. The midfielder also has interest from Arsenal, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, but the strongest early moves have come from United as they look to boost Michael Carrick’s squad.West Ham hope to receive £80m for Fernandes, although they may face financial pressure to drop their asking price after their relegation from the Premier League. The club lost £104.2m last year and need to raise more than £100m in transfer sales this summer.Fernandes, who joined West Ham from Southampton for £38m last summer, is one of their biggest assets and has caught the eye of a host of top clubs. United are keen to bolster their midfield after Casemiro’s departure on a free transfer and have already signed Éderson from Atalanta.It is believed that United are Fernandes’s likeliest destination if he moves to another English club. However, sources have cautioned that there could be a push from Madrid, who have just reappointed José Mourinho as their new manager. United will be wary of missing out on Fernandes to their former coach.Arsenal are thought to feel that West Ham’s asking price for Fernandes is too high. There is more confidence around United. They have been keen on Elliot Anderson but are likely to be outbid by Manchester City for the England and Nottingham Forest midfielder. Fernandes is more within their price range.West Ham are expected to lose a host of top talent after dropping into the Championship. There is plenty of interest in Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, who could be in even bigger demand if he impresses for the Netherlands at the World Cup. Taty Castellanos, the Argentinian striker, is an option for Everton.