Pep Chavarria with Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso
Pep Chavarria with Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso
Chelsea have reached an agreement with Rayo Vallecano for left-back Pep Chavarria, with sources confirming to TEAMtalk that the Spaniard has now been given permission to travel to London for his medical.
We revealed over the weekend that Chelsea had returned with an improved offer for the 28-year-old after Chavarria made it clear to Rayo that he wanted to complete a move to Stamford Bridge.
Those negotiations have now reached a successful conclusion.
Sources tell us the deal is worth around €25million, with Chelsea securing one of Xabi Alonso’s priority targets before the new Premier League campaign gets underway.
Alonso was determined to add an experienced option on the left side of his defence following Marc Cucurella’s departure to Real Madrid and identified Chavarria as the ideal fit.
Chelsea have now landed their man, with the Spaniard expected to complete the formalities of his move in the coming days.
Want more breaking news and transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.
Pep Chavarria joins Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck
Chavarria joins a busy summer at Stamford Bridge. The defender will arrive to find Jordan Henderson already settling into life in west London after completing his move to Chelsea.
Alonso turned to the former Liverpool captain after Chelsea were unsuccessful in their attempts to sign Granit Xhaka, identifying Henderson as the experienced midfield leader he wanted at the heart of his squad.
The England international has signed a two-year contract after becoming available following his release from Brentford and is expected to bring leadership and winning experience to Chelsea’s new-look dressing room.
However, another England international is heading in the opposite direction.
Chelsea selling Trevoh Chalobah to Como for £30m-plus
TEAMtalk understands Trevoh Chalobah is set to complete a move to Serie A side Como after the Italian club, managed by Cesc Fabregas, agreed a deal worth just over £30million with Chelsea.
The defender is now expected to travel to Italy to finalise his switch.
Chelsea believe the arrivals of Chavarria, Henderson and Danny Welbeck are a clear indication of the club’s new direction under Xabi Alonso.
After several transfer windows focused almost exclusively on signing the game’s brightest young talent, TEAMtalk understands BlueCo are now committed to blending proven experience with their youthful squad.
Alonso made it clear internally that adding leadership, Premier League know-how and established professionals was essential, and the signings of Chavarria, Henderson and Welbeck underline that shift in philosophy as Chelsea look to build a squad capable of challenging immediately while still continuing to develop the club’s next generation of stars.