Chelsea have made progress in their pursuit of Rayo Vallecano’s Pep Chavarría this summer.
The Blues want the left-back to replace Marc Cucurella, who completed a permanent move to Real Madrid in June.
Xabi Alonso has identified the 28-year-old as his main target and Chelsea want to please their new manager.
On Wednesday, Sport Witness covered claims from Spain that the La Liga side rejected the Blues’ €9m offer.
Later that day, we relayed news that the Premier League side improved their bid to €15m. Rayo Vallecano again turned it down and referred to the Spaniard’s €50m release clause.
Chelsea refusing to give up
Marca first reported about the west London club’s interest in Pep Chavarría on Monday.
A fresh report from Marca now claims his experience, performances and ability to fit into different systems have convinced Chelsea.
Xabi Alonso’s side have made progress by reaching an agreement with the player, without mentioning their details.
They now have to agree with Rayo Vallecano and want to finalise his signing ‘without excessively prolonging negotiations’.
The report states the English club have offered €12m while the La Liga side are requesting €20m. This is €30m less than yesterday’s claim, and the figures on this transfer have been all over the place.
There’s distance in valuation, but the two clubs continue negotiations for an agreement. Chelsea are optimistic as their intention is to ‘gradually approach the demands’ set by the Spanish club.
Marca claims all parties are willing to reach an agreement, and this would be key for the Blues to unlock the deal in the coming days.
Conflicting claims from Spain
El Partidazo de COPE took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share an important update from journalist Isaac Fouto.
He claims Rayo Vallecano president Martín Presa denies any negotiations with Chelsea and refers to Pep Chavarría’s €50m clause.
Therefore, the Spanish club have rejected Chelsea’s offer, without mentioning the details. In fact, the former are considering filing a complaint against the English club with FIFA.
Chavarría’s contract is until 2030, and Transfermarkt value him at €10m.