Chelsea Close In On £16.3m Cucurella Replacement As Chavarría Deal Nears Finish Line
Chelsea are on the brink of landing their man. The Blues are closing in on a £16.3million (€19m) deal to sign Rayo Vallecano left-back Pep Chavarría, with add-ons potentially pushing the package even higher, as Xabi Alonso finally gets his hands on the player he wanted to replace Marc Cucurella all along.
It has been a long time coming. Talks between the two clubs have dragged on for over a month, with Rayo initially demanding as much as £25m for their 28-year-old defender before the two sides edged toward a compromise. Chelsea are now understood to be finalising the last details, with a medical set to follow once everything is signed off.
Chasing Cucurella’s Shadow
Chavarría was always going to have big boots to fill. Cucurella left big gaps behind him at Stamford Bridge when he completed his move to Real Madrid earlier this summer for £51.7m, leaving Alonso with only Jorrel Hato as a recognised senior left-back. Academy prospect Landon Emenalo has filled in during pre-season, but the writing was on the wall — Chelsea needed reinforcements out wide, and fast.
Enter Chavarría. The Spaniard has been on Chelsea’s radar since early in the transfer window, valued for his energy, pace, and willingness to bomb forward from deep. He racked up 44 appearances in all competitions for Rayo last season and was part of the side that reached the Conference League final, where he lined up directly against Crystal Palace’s Daniel Muñoz.
Experience Over Hype
At 28, Chavarría isn’t the flashiest name on Chelsea’s summer shopping list, but that’s rather the point. His arrival continues a clear trend under Alonso this window — go for know-how, not just potential. The Spaniard follows 35-year-old Danny Welbeck through the door from Brighton, and 36-year-old Jordan Henderson, who completed his move from Brentford earlier this week.
He’d slot in as Chelsea’s third defensive addition of the summer, joining Marco Palestra (in from Atalanta) and Maxence Lacroix (arriving from Crystal Palace) as Alonso continues to remodel his back line piece by piece.
Despite his age, Chavarría is still relatively fresh to the top flight — he only stepped up to Segunda Division level in 2022 when he joined Rayo from Real Zaragoza for a modest £1.8m fee. Since then he has made 125 appearances for the Madrid-based club, chipping in with two goals and eight assists, and established himself as one of LaLiga’s more reliable full-backs.
What He Brings
Statistically, Chavarría’s numbers paint the picture of a genuine two-way full-back. Last season he ranked among the competition’s top performers for crosses from open play and corners won — but was equally busy at the other end, also featuring near the top for blocking crosses and winning back possession in the defensive third.
Don’t expect him to be Chelsea’s next great creator out wide, though. He’s no Alex Grimaldo, the type of playmaking left-back Alonso once had at his disposal during his Bayer Leverkusen days. What Chavarría offers instead is graft — a willing runner capable of stretching opposition defences and giving Chelsea’s shape balance on both sides of the ball.
Not everyone in Spain is convinced he’s ready for the step up, mind you. Transfermarkt’s Spanish football expert Iván Fuente admitted he was surprised by Chelsea’s interest, questioning whether Chavarría’s level matches the demands of a club with Chelsea’s ambitions. Still, Fuente was quick to add that Alonso personally requesting the move should offer some reassurance about the player’s ability to deliver.
One Deal Chelsea Are Walking Away From
While the Chavarría deal edges closer to completion, one rumoured move has been firmly shut down. Reports linking Chelsea with Portugal international goalkeeper Diogo Costa have been played down, with no contact having been made between Chelsea and Porto over a deal for the 26-year-old World Cup regular. Alonso, it seems, is content with his options between the sticks for now.
The Bottom Line
Barring a late twist, Chavarría looks set to become Chelsea’s fifth signing of the summer and their answer to the Cucurella-sized hole at left-back. He may not carry the same creative spark, but his engine, defensive discipline, and Conference League pedigree give Alonso a dependable option — and another marker of the more experienced, battle-tested squad the Spaniard is building at Stamford Bridge.
Keep it locked to XScore for full confirmation once the deal is officially announced.
