Chelsea are on the verge of completing the signing of Rayo Vallecano left-back Pep Chavarria after making significant progress in negotiations with the Spanish club.
The Premier League side have already agreed personal terms with the 28-year-old defender and are now finalising a transfer package worth an initial £16.3 million, with additional performance-related bonuses expected to be included.
The deal comes after weeks of negotiations between both clubs, with Chelsea confident an agreement will soon be reached.
Chelsea make breakthrough in talks
Chelsea’s pursuit of Chavarria began in June when the club submitted an opening bid, but Rayo Vallecano rejected the offer and initially demanded a significantly higher fee.
Negotiations continued over the following weeks, with discussions becoming increasingly complicated as the Spanish side reportedly insisted on a figure closer to the player’s release clause.
However, both clubs have now moved closer to an agreement after Chavarria informed Rayo Vallecano of his desire to join Chelsea ahead of the new season.
The Spanish defender has emerged as one of Xabi Alonso’s priority targets as the Chelsea manager looks to strengthen his options on the left side of defence.
Alonso reshapes Chelsea squad
Chavarria’s arrival would provide further depth at left-back following Marc Cucurella’s departure earlier in the transfer window.
The move also fits Alonso’s tactical plans, with the Spaniard expected to utilise an attacking wing-back system similar to the one that brought him success during his days at Bayer Leverkusen.
Chelsea have been among the busiest clubs in the transfer market this summer, adding several new faces as they continue to rebuild the squad.
The Blues have already secured the signings of Morgan Rogers, Danny Welbeck, Jordan Henderson, Marco Palestra and Maxence Lacroix, while midfielder Valentin Barco is also expected to complete his move soon.
Attention is now expected to shift towards reducing the size of the squad, with Chelsea continuing to work on outgoing transfers after reaching an agreement to sell defender Trevoh Chalobah to Serie A side Como.
An official announcement on Chavarria’s arrival is expected once the remaining details of the agreement are finalised and the defender completes his medical.