Chelsea sign left-back Pep Chavarria from Rayo Vallecano

Chelsea have completed the signing of left-back Pep Chavarria from Spanish side Rayo Vallecano.

On August 4, The Athletic reported that Chavarria had agreed personal terms with the Premier League side and was set to be given permission to undergo medical, as the clubs worked amicably towards completing the deal.

The 28-year-old has signed a contract until 2031.

“I’m so excited to get started,” Chavarria said after his signing was announced. “This is a dream for me as Chelsea are one of the biggest clubs in the world. It is a big opportunity but I am prepared and will work hard to help the team achieve success.

“There are a lot of people who have helped me get to this moment and I have to thank my family. They have always supported me and today is only possible because of them.”

Chavarria in Blue. pic.twitter.com/uC7fCI6DqK

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 12, 2026

Chelsea prioritised the signing of a left-sided defender after Marc Cucurella joined Real Madrid in a €60million (£51.7m; $69.4m) move in June, leaving Jorrel Hato as the only recognised left-back in the club’s senior squad. Landon Emenalo, 18, has featured there for Chelsea in pre-season.

Chavarria featured in Rayo’s run to last season’s Conference League final, and played the full 90 minutes as Inigo Perez’s side lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace in the decider in Leipzig. He has spent the entirety of his career in Spanish football and made 125 appearances for Rayo since joining from Real Zaragoza in 2022.

His current contract at the Madrid-based club ran to 2030 and contained a €50million (£42.8m) release clause.

Marco Palestra was the first signing of the Xabi Alonso era at Chelsea after joining from Atalanta last month on a seven-year contract, following the pre-existing deals to sign Geovany Quenda, Denner, Dastan Satpaev and Emmanuel Emegha.

The club have subsequently added Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck, Maxence Lacroix and Jordan Henderson to Alonso’s squad, while Mykhailo Mudryk has been cleared to return to first-team activities following a doping ban.

‘Chavarria Chelsea’s No 1 target at left back’

This has been a long time coming and has always been a matter of when, not if.

Chelsea were looking for a left back to replace Marc Cucurella, who joined Real Madrid before the World Cup.

The issue was the fee, with Chelsea and Rayo Vallecano having different variations from the get-go. It took a while to reach a compromise.

While Chelsea did consider other options, Chavarria was the No 1 target. He is not only seen as someone that can feature in the team, but an individual that can help mentor Jorrel Hato, as well as Landon Emenalo, who is a highly rated member of the under-21s and seen as someone that can progress into the senior squad.