Chelsea have signed the left-back Pep Chavarria from Rayo Vallecano on a five-year deal worth around £16.3m, with a further £1.7m in add-ons. The 28-year-old fills the vacancy left by Marc Cucurella's departure to Real Madrid for £51.8m in June, and gives Xabi Alonso the chance to build a wing-back system on the left of his Chelsea side.
"This is a dream for me as Chelsea are one of the biggest clubs in the world," Chavarria said. "It is a big opportunity but I am prepared and will work hard to help the team achieve success."
Chavarria's route to Stamford Bridge has been unconventional. Born in Figueres, he did not make his La Liga debut until he was 24, working his way up from third-tier side UE Olot through Real Zaragoza before joining Rayo Vallecano in 2022. He went on to make 125 appearances for Rayo, featuring 44 times in all competitions last season alone as the club finished eighth in LaLiga and reached the Conference League final, where they lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace.
It was a defensive display against Real Madrid in a goalless draw at Vallecas in November, when Alonso was still in charge of the Spanish club, that first caught the new Chelsea manager's eye. Alongside Marco Palestra, signed from Atalanta for £47m, Chavarria's arrival gives Alonso the pieces to replicate the wing-back system that won Bayer Leverkusen the Bundesliga title in 2024.