Real Madrid have often been one of the biggest admirers of Chelsea’s top talents, with several Blues stars making the move to the Santiago Bernabéu over the years. From high-profile transfers to key squad additions, the Spanish giants have regularly turned to Chelsea when strengthening their squad.
In this post, Softfootball takes a look at the list of Chelsea players who left the club for Real Madrid between 2007 and 2026, including the year each transfer was completed.
Here are the players and the years they left Chelsea for Real Madrid:
Arjen Robben (2007)
Robben completed his move to Real Madrid on 22 August 2007 on a five‑year deal, with the transfer fee reported as £24 million (€35 million). He made his debut on 18 September as a substitute for Raúl during a Champions League match against Werder Bremen, which Real Madrid won 2–1.
Ricardo Carvalho (2010)
In August 2010, after six years with Chelsea, Ricardo Carvalho transferred to Real Madrid for a fee of £6.7 million, winning two domestic honours under José Mourinho before leaving for Monaco in 2013.
Michael Essien (loan, 2012)
On 31 August 2012, Essien signed a season‑long loan deal with Real Madrid, reuniting with José Mourinho. At his introductory press conference, Mourinho affectionately referred to Essien as “his son”, while Essien called Mourinho his “Daddy”.
Thibaut Courtois (2018)
On 8 August 2018, Real Madrid announced the signing of Courtois on a six‑year contract. Chelsea confirmed the transfer a day later for a fee believed to be £35 million. He made his debut on 1 September 2018 in a 4–1 win over Leganés.
Eden Hazard (2019)
Hazard won the Europa League again with Chelsea in 2019, scoring twice in the final. Having established himself as one of the best players in the world, he joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2019 in a transfer worth up to €150 million.
Marc Cucurella (2026)
On Sunday, 14 June 2026, Real Madrid reached a deal to sign Chelsea and former Barcelona left‑back Marc Cucurella as He was strongly wanted by José Mourinho and will join Madrid after the World Cup.
From Robben in 2007 to Cucurella in 2026, Real Madrid have consistently been one of the biggest buyers of Chelsea’s elite talent. This long‑running transfer pipeline reflects Madrid’s strategy of targeting proven Premier League performers and Chelsea’s willingness to sell when the price is right.
