Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Spanish fullback Pep Chavarria from Rayo Vallecano, as per Nicolo Schira.
Xabi Alonso has overseen an ambitious summer recruitment that has brought in adequate reinforcement to various key positions.
They have also notably added experience to their recruitment plans, with Danny Welbeck already unveiled while a deal for Jordan Henderson is reportedly nearing completion.
At the back, the Blues have added highly rated Italian fullback Marco Palestra and French international Maxence Lacroix.
One notable position that still needs reinforcement is the left-back position due to the departure of Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid.
As a result, the club have been looking to replace the Spaniard, with reports in June via Football Talk revealing that Chelsea have identified Vallecano’s Chavarria as Cucurella’s replacement.
It appears a deal has now been completed, as Nicolo Schira reports that Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign Chavarría from Vallecano this summer.
After agreeing personal terms with the London giants on a six-year contract, the club have now formalised the transfer fee for £21m plus £4m in add-ons, according to the Italian transfer expert.
Done deal
In a separate report from Sébastien Vidal, the French journalist claims that Chavarria is already in London to undergo his medicals before signing his contract.
Although the 28-year-old is not a household name, statistics suggest he has been one of the most underrated fullbacks in LaLiga over the past few seasons.
Chavarría was a key figure throughout the recently completed campaign, featuring in 33 of Rayo’s 38 LaLiga matches as the club secured an eighth-place finish. He also played an integral part in their run to the UEFA Conference League final, where they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
As of December 2025, he had won 189 duels, the third-highest total across Europe’s top five leagues, trailing only Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest on 195 while being level with teammate Nico Williams on 189.
Although he found the net only once last season, the strike was a spectacular 25-yard effort against Atletico Madrid. Beyond that goal, his attacking intent remained evident throughout the campaign, with the defender registering 18 shots.
At 28, Chavarría would also bring valuable experience to one of the youngest squads in the Premier League, aligning with Chelsea’s apparent shift towards adding more experienced players to their squad.
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