Chelsea are closing in on an agreement with Rayo Vallecano for defender Pep Chavarria.

Chavarria has been at Rayo for four years having moved from Real Zaragoza in 2022 Chelsea are closing in on an agreement with Rayo Vallecano for defender Pep Chavarria. The Blues, who have already agreed personal terms with the 28-year-old, are finalising a move worth about £16.3m plus further add-ons, with all parties increasingly confident about striking a deal. Left-back Chavarria is a key target for new manager Xabi Alonso having faced him while he was in charge of Real Madrid last season. It has been almost a month since Chelsea had an initial £15m bid rejected by the La Liga club when talks began at the end of June. Negotiations became protracted amid a belief at Chelsea that Rayo were raising their valuation during the process, asking 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. Alongside new right-back Marco Palestra, who joined Chelsea for £47m from Atalanta in July, Chavarria's arrival would give Alonso the chance to replicate his wing-back system that helped Bayer Leverkusen win the Bundesliga title in 2024.