{
  "id": 9503398,
  "title": "Real Madrid defender Marc Cucurella reveals truth about Barcelona’s interest: ‘My agent received a few calls, but…’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/real-madrid-defender-marc-cucurella-reveals-truth-about-barcelonas",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-24T06:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/real-madrid-defender-marc-cucurella-062000499.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Marc Cucurella, the Real Madrid defender, has set the record straight on Barcelona's interest in him during the summer transfer window. In an interview with COPE, the Spanish international dismissed rumors that the Catalan giants made serious attempts to sign him, stating that his agent only received a handful of calls related to the potential move. Cucurella, who joined Real Madrid this summer, has since become the club's first-choice left-back under manager Jose Mourinho. The defender's arrival came after months of speculation linking him with various clubs, including Barcelona.\n\nReports had suggested that Barcelona were closely monitoring the Spanish international and considering him as a potential left-back option, particularly with uncertainty surrounding Alejandro Balde's future. However, Cucurella clarified that the interest never turned into a genuine transfer pursuit. His representative made only a few preliminary contact attempts, which did not lead to any meaningful discussions.\n\nThe Real Madrid legend also revealed that he attempted to convince fellow Spaniard Kevin De Bruyne, now at Manchester City, to join his new club before De Bruyne ultimately opted for Barcelona. Despite their rivalry, Cucurella acknowledged that De Bruyne's decision to join his new team was a successful one.",
  "summary": "Marc Cucurella has dismissed suggestions that Barcelona seriously tried to sign him this summer, while revealing that he even attempted to convince Rodri to choose Real Madrid before the midfielder ev...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "LaLiga: ‘It’s a disgrace’ – Atletico star, Romero says it’s impossible to play against Real Madrid",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/laliga-its-a-disgrace-atletico-star-romero-says-its-impossible-to",
        "published": "2026-09-24T05:35:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Former Real Madrid midfielder rules out Bernabeu return after stunning start: ‘Not thinking about it’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/former-real-madrid-midfielder-rules-out-bernabeu-return-after",
        "published": "2026-09-24T07:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}