CK Updates
Marc Cucurella joins Real Madrid – will Enzo Fernandez follow?
The exit of Cucurella from Chelsea is a curious one.
Only last season, the Spain international agreed improved financial terms without extending his contract, a deal that was never formally announced by the club.
After winning the European Championship with Spain, along with the Conference League and Club World Cup at Chelsea, Cucurella appeared to be an integral part of the side under former manager Enzo Maresca.
However, his form dipped under Maresca’s mid-season replacement, Liam Rosenior, and – amid a run of poor results – Cucurella criticised the managerial uncertainty and the running of the club more broadly.
Unlike Fernandez, who made similar comments in March, Cucurella was not formally punished.
Yet, despite saying in recent days that he had spoken to incoming boss Xabi Alonso and liked the idea of playing under him, he has opted to leave for Madrid.
Cucurella was quoted by Marca last week as saying: “Yes, I’m attracted to Xabi Alonso’s project. I’ve spoken with him and he inspired a lot of confidence in me. I’ve also spoken with Grimaldo and Borja, who have worked with him, and they spoke very highly of him. The project seems very interesting.”
Part of his reasoning was a desire to return to Spain, with three children and having spent six years in London, his agency worked alongside Chelsea to find a suitable move to one of the big three clubs in his home country.
For Chelsea, the deal makes financial sense. They finished 10th in the Premier League last season, will lose substantial revenue by missing out on European competition, do not currently have a long-term front-of-shirt sponsor, and remain under scrutiny from Uefa under a settlement agreement after breaching squad cost rules.
Although the club insist they do not need to sell players and will remain compliant, the sale of Cucurella improves their financial position. While it represents a small loss on the £60m paid to sign him from Brighton in 2022, due to transfer fees being amortised over the length of his contract, it equates to a profit of around £17.5m in accounting terms.
In addition, Chelsea will have fewer matches next season. With Cucurella turning 28 next month and having three years remaining on his contract, this may have represented the final opportunity to maximise a fee for a player keen to move.
Cucurella was, however, one of Chelsea‘s most consistent performers over the last two seasons and his departure will reduce the average age of a squad already the youngest in the Premier League.
Former West Ham, QPR and Czech Republic goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko has died at the age of 64.
Miklosko made almost 400 appearances for the Hammers from 1990 to 1998 and was much loved by supporters, who regularly sang his name long after he left the club.
He later returned as a goalkeeping coach.
Miklosko withdrew from cancer treatment in December 2024, three years after his diagnosis.
Days later he returned to West Ham’s London Stadium for a Premier League match against Liverpool to a hero’s reception.
A West Ham statement read: “It is with deep and profound sadness that West Ham United announces the passing of legendary former goalkeeper and coach, Luděk Miklosko.
“Rest in peace Ludek, our beloved, inspirational goalkeeper and gentle giant of a man.”
More to follow.
Going into the 2026 season, few people would have backed Zverev to win two Grand Slam tournaments, with the German having already lost three major finals in a career which looked in danger of not living up to expectation.
But injuries to his biggest rivals – Alcaraz missing the French Open and Wimbledon, with Sinner ruled out of the US Open – opened the door for Zverev.
A below-par Zverev scraped through the opening rounds at Flushing Meadows in a series of early-morning finishes, but he gradually improved over a fortnight where he did not play a top-20 opponent until Shelton.
Zverev had not lost to Shelton in their five previous meetings and immediately capitalised on a nervy start by his opponent.
Shelton double-faulted on break point in the first game of the match, handing over the type of initiative that opponents often struggle to wrestle back from Zverev.
Through the strength of his first serve, and his ability to unpick Shelton’s weaker backhand in the baseline exchanges, Zverev rolled through the opening set and clinched it when Shelton hit another double fault on set point.
Zverev continued to patiently draw mistakes from Shelton in the second set, but without being gifted a break when his only opportunity arrived in the fourth game.
He instead showed why he has a strong tie-break record with another nerveless display and, unlike in the 2020 US Open final when he lost from a two-set lead, kept his composure in the pressure moments to secure a commanding victory.
Addressing his team which is led by his father Alexander senior and brother Mischa, Zverev said: “We went 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title and now won two in the span of three months.
“I think God has seen how hard we have worked, how hard we have suffered and how much pain we went through.
“I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before.”
With Haaland’s goal settling the match, United were unsurprisingly disappointed by the decision.
“I think it was offside,” said Martinez. “And what I can’t understand is the rules. I want to be calm now, I want to control myself.
“It’s so hard because you lose a derby, you lose three points at home, and every season they’re [referees] coming to our club, they explain for one hour the rules, and they look so confident with that, and then after [there are] five or six people doing these kind of mistakes in the Premier League – it’s unacceptable.
“It’s the best league in the world, you have the best teams in the world, the best players in the world, and now we have to go home with this injustice.”
United boss Carrick also expressed his confusion.
“We put things in place in the game now, we have people in offices with all the screens for this decision,” he said.
“It’s more worrying about if that’s the interpretation of football now. If that’s the interpretation of not interfering in the game now, that’s really worrying for me. It’s a staggering explanation.
“The decision isn’t going to change the season, but it’s had a major impact on the game.”
Wayne Rooney, part of the BBC’s MOTD2 team, said: “Surely it’s offside. Martinez is impacted by Fernandez’s movement, and he is offside.”
Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: “I think we’ll see some sort of apology from the referee’s association, there’s no doubt Fernandez is playing that ball and is trying to put off Martinez. I think it’s one they’ll recognising they got wrong.”
Micah Richards added: “I think it’s been a bad day for referees. They got the Foden decision wrong and the Fernandez decision wrong. I think they got it so wrong but I don’t think it takes anything away from City’s performance.”
Meanwhile, City boss Maresca said: “I think it was onside clearly so it’s good.”
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