Chelsea are advancing negotiations with Spanish La Liga club Rayo Vallecano for the signing of 28-year-old left-back Pep Chavarría, with the player having already communicated his desire to join the club and work under incoming manager Xabi Alonso, according to reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.
According to Romano, Chelsea are in club-to-club talks with Rayo Vallecano for Chavarría as their new left-back, with initial contact made and the player keen on the move.
Chavarría has already informed Rayo Vallecano of his desire to join Chelsea and play for Alonso, who knows the left-back well. Sources indicate Chelsea are very optimistic about getting the deal done once a financial agreement between the clubs is reached.
Chelsea’s initial offer of €9 million plus add-ons was, however, rejected by Rayo Vallecano, according to Mundo Deportivo, though talks have not been deterred by the setback.
The pursuit of Chavarría is being driven personally by Alonso, who is set to take charge at Stamford Bridge from July 1. Romano confirmed on his YouTube channel that Chavarría is a player known by Alonso and those close to him, adding that Chelsea’s scouting staff had also been monitoring the Spaniard closely, with the club and manager working in alignment this summer.
Chavarría joined Rayo Vallecano from Real Zaragoza for €1.8 million in 2022 and has gone on to make 125 appearances for the club, contributing two goals and eight assists. He was part of the Rayo Vallecano squad who reached last season’s UEFA Conference League final before losing out to Crystal Palace.
The move comes in direct response to the departure of Marc Cucurella. Cucurella’s transfer to Real Madrid was finalised on June 15 for £51.8 million, a deal that left Chelsea without one of their most reliable defenders from recent seasons.
According to the BBC, Chavarría would be viewed by Chelsea and Alonso as a wing-back at Stamford Bridge, giving the new manager flexibility to deploy the formation he successfully used at Bayer Leverkusen.
Chavarría signed a contract extension with Rayo Vallecano last year and is tied to the club until 2030, giving the Spanish side considerable leverage in negotiations. Aside from Chavarría, Chelsea are also targeting a centre-back, a central midfielder, and a versatile attacker as part of their summer rebuild under Alonso.
Sources:
- Fabrizio Romano (X / YouTube)
- Mundo Deportivo
- Marca
- Ben Jacobs (X)
- Transfermarkt
- Football365
- The Pride of London
- The Hard Tackle
- Sports Mole
- Yahoo Sports / Football Talk
- BBC Sport
- Crypto Briefing
