Real Madrid’s summer 2026 rebuild is moving at full speed, and the left-back position sits at the center of José Mourinho’s squad renovation. The club plans to keep Álvaro Carreras as backup behind new signing Marc Cucurella, while Fran García appears headed for the exit door.
The Cucurella bet
Cucurella arrived from Chelsea for a reported €55 million on a six-year contract, with the deal announced around June 15, 2026. That’s a significant outlay for a left-back, roughly in line with what Real Madrid paid Benfica for Carreras just a year earlier at €50 million.
Real Madrid watched several long-term defensive pillars depart, including Dani Carvajal and David Alaba. Mourinho, who was appointed head coach in June 2026 on a deal running through 2029, needed to rebuild the backline almost from scratch.
Carreras stays, García goes
