Reece James 'devastated' by Cucurella's £52m Real Madrid move but excited for Xabi Alonso era

Chelsea captain Reece James has admitted he is ‘devastated’ by Marc Cucurella’s surprise £52million transfer to Real Madrid, while expressing genuine excitement about the arrival of new manager Xabi Alonso at Stamford Bridge.

Cucurella’s move to the Spanish capital ends a three-year spell at Chelsea and means the Spain left-back will not feature under Alonso, who is set to take charge of the club next season. James, speaking publicly for the first time since the deal was confirmed, made clear the departure stings.

“I spoke with him a few days ago. He’s obviously an amazing player, one of the best left-backs in the world,” James said. “This is his football, you know, players move every few months, and I’m devastated to see him go, but I wish him all the best.”

Despite the loss of Cucurella, James struck an optimistic tone about the new managerial appointment. The Chelsea skipper revealed he has already had several phone conversations with Alonso, though the pair are yet to meet in person.

“We’ve spoken a couple of times on the phone. I haven’t met him in person yet. Everyone I’ve spoken to about him says he’s an amazing, amazing manager,” James said. “I know him more from his playing career. He had an amazing career, and now I’m excited to welcome him.”

James drew a parallel with his experience of working under Frank Lampard, another former idol turned manager. “It’s strange. I had it when I was younger with Frank Lampard. He was one of my idols growing up, and then when he stepped in as manager, it was a surreal moment. I’m delighted that Xabi Alonso is our manager, and I’m excited.”

For now, though, James’s attention is fixed on England’s World Cup campaign. He earned praise from manager Thomas Tuchel for his performance in a 4-2 victory over Croatia, operating in a dual role that underlined his versatility.

“It’s been a dream come true for me. It was a moment I’ve waited for a long time,” James said of the tournament. “I feel the manager trusts me. We worked together previously at Chelsea, we won trophies together, and I love playing under him.”

James also highlighted the squad’s collective winning pedigree as a key factor in England’s prospects. “If you look around at the quality of the players we’ve got, we’ve got a lot of world-class players in the team. We’ve got a lot of players that have won big titles, in consecutive years as well, so the winning mentality is there for sure.”