Chelsea Targets Pep Chavarría as Cucurella Replacement
Chelsea are on the verge of sealing a deal for Rayo Vallecano left-back Pep Chavarría in a move worth around £16.3m (€19m) plus add-ons, as the club continue to reshape their defence after Marc Cucurella’s departure to Real Madrid.
Talks between the two clubs have dragged on for more than a month, but the final details are now being ironed out. Chelsea moved early to identify Chavarría as Cucurella’s successor, targeting a defender who can slot straight into a high-intensity system rather than a long-term project who needs years of development.
At 28, Chavarría brings something this Chelsea squad has been short of in key areas: hardened, senior experience. While much of the summer business at Stamford Bridge has revolved around youth and upside, this is a signing aimed at stabilising one side of the pitch with a player who already knows his craft.
A mainstay at Rayo
Chavarría arrives off the back of a demanding campaign with Rayo Vallecano, where he featured in 44 games in all competitions last season. He was not just a squad option; he was a constant outlet, a reliable presence on the flank in a team that asked a lot of its full-backs.
His season included a start in the Conference League final, where Rayo fell 1-0 to Crystal Palace. It was a harsh end to a run that had showcased his engine and nerve on a European stage, but it underlined the level he has been operating at: knockout pressure, high tempo, little margin for error.
The Rayo rise
The story of Chavarría’s emergence at Rayo Vallecano is closely tied to Andoni Iraola. When Iraola brought him to the club in 2022, it said plenty about the type of player he wanted. Iraola demands aggression, intensity and constant movement from his full-backs. They have to overlap relentlessly, stretch the pitch, and keep going when others are flagging.
Chavarría fit that brief. Initially known for his willingness to surge up and down the touchline, he has since expanded his game. He has become more comfortable underlapping into central areas, stepping into midfield when the build-up requires an extra body, and offering different angles rather than hugging the chalk all game.
What still defines him, though, is work-rate. He has carved out a reputation as one of the hardest-working full-backs in LaLiga, a player whose performance level is underpinned by stamina and aggression as much as technique.
Inigo Perez has been another key figure in his development. Across three seasons together at Rayo, Perez has helped Chavarría evolve into a modern full-back involved in every phase: building from the back, supporting midfield, and defending his box. It is no surprise the player regards Perez as the best coach he has worked with; the evidence is in how rounded his game now looks.
What the numbers say
The data from last season backs up the eye test. Chavarría acted as a primary outlet for Rayo, registering over 2000 touches in LaLiga and repeatedly driving play down the flank.
He ranked among the top dozen players in the league for crosses from open play and corners won, constantly forcing defenders to turn and face their own goal. But this was no one-dimensional, all-attack full-back. He also placed among the top dozen for blocking crosses and winning possession in the defensive third, underlining the dual nature of his role.
This is not a left-back who will arrive in west London with the reputation of having a “wand” of a left foot, the kind of creative force Alex Grimaldo became for Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen. Chelsea are not buying an all-action playmaker from deep.
They are, though, securing a tireless runner who stretches the pitch, presses aggressively, and understands how to balance risk and responsibility on his flank. In a squad stacked with young talent still learning the demands of elite-level football, that profile carries real value.
If the deal goes through as expected, Chelsea will not just have found a replacement for Cucurella. They will have added a full-back shaped by the intensity of LaLiga, tested in European competition, and ready to drop straight into the grind of a Premier League season that will not wait for anyone to catch their breath.
