Chelsea are closing in on an agreement with Rayo Vallecano for defender Pep Chavarria. The Blues have already agreed personal terms with the 28-year-old and are targeting a fee below £20m, with increasing confidence from all parties that a deal can be struck.
Chavarria has been at Rayo for four years after moving from Real Zaragoza in 2022. He is a key target for new manager Xabi Alonso, who faced him while in charge of Real Madrid last season.
How far have Chelsea gone in talks?
Chelsea first made an initial £15m bid at the end of June, but it was rejected by the La Liga club almost a month ago. Negotiations then became protracted amid a belief at Chelsea that Rayo were increasing their valuation during the process, with the Spanish side reportedly asking for as much as the full £42.8m release clause at one stage.
Chavarria made it clear to Rayo, who lost to Crystal Palace in the Conference League final in May, that he wanted to move to Stamford Bridge. That stance has helped keep Chelsea in a strong position as talks continue.
Why does Alonso want Chavarria?
Alongside new right-back Marco Palestra, who joined Chelsea for £47m from Atalanta in July, Chavarria would give Alonso the chance to replicate his wing-back system that helped Bayer Leverkusen win the Bundesliga title in 2024. The left-back's arrival would also add depth to that area after Marc Cucurella joined Real Madrid in June for £51.8m.
His signing would further add experience to the squad, alongside striker Danny Welbeck, 35, from Brighton and Jordan Henderson, 36, after he cancelled his contract with Brentford.
Chelsea have also signed club-record £117m forward Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa and defender Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace for £52m, while midfielder Valentin Barco is expected to join from partner club Strasbourg imminently.
What happens next at Chelsea?
Chelsea are expected to focus on player sales in the coming weeks after reaching an agreement to sell Trevoh Chalobah to Italian club Como 1907 for about £31m. A deal for Chavarria would be another significant addition as Alonso continues shaping his squad.
