Who Is Pep Chavarria? Chelsea's New Left-Back Signing to Replace Marc Cucurella

Chelsea's Summer Transfer Moves

Chelsea have been busy once again this summer, making several signings as the club continues reshaping its squad under BlueCo ownership. Among the arrivals are Premier League veterans Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson, along with Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace and Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a significant fee.

Meanwhile, the Blues also said goodbye to important players like Andrey Santos, who joined Manchester United, and World Cup winner Marc Cucurella, who left for Real Madrid during the summer international break.

With Cucurella’s departure, Chelsea initially had only one natural left-back, Jorrel Hato, as preseason began. This gap led the club to act swiftly to bring in another wide defender. Their solution was a 28-year-old La Liga player.

Introducing Pep Chavarria

Chelsea have moved to sign Pep Chavarria, a left-back currently playing for Spanish side Rayo Vallecano. Chavarria started his career in the lower Spanish leagues with UE Figueres before moving to UE Olot in 2018. In 2020, Real Zaragoza signed him for €250,000. Two years later, he transferred to Rayo Vallecano for €1.8 million.

At Rayo, Chavarria gradually became more crucial. In his first season, he played just 356 league minutes but grew into a regular starter, accumulating 67 appearances and over 5,200 La Liga minutes across two seasons. Chelsea’s decision to sign a 28-year-old contrasts with their usual focus on younger players with resale potential.

Evaluating Pep Chavarria's Style and Strengths

Chavarria differs from Marc Cucurella, who was known for his attacking style. Instead, Chavarria is more defensively focused, excelling at winning back possession and then advancing the ball.

• La Liga Ground Duels Won Rank: 17th among defenders last season
• Progressive Carries: Ranked 18th in La Liga
• Progressive Passes: In the 75th percentile among European full-backs
• Crosses Attempted: 8th highest in La Liga
• Cross Completion Rate: Low at 16.5%, the lowest among top 20 crossers

While willing to overlap and deliver crosses, his accuracy remains an area for improvement.

Transfer Fee and Contract Details

Reports vary regarding the fee Chelsea will pay for Chavarria. English sources like David Ornstein of The Athletic say no agreement has been finalized yet. Spanish outlets such as Marca suggest the transfer could reach around €25 million ($28.8 million/£21.4 million), which would be a record sale for Rayo Vallecano.

Ben Jacobs of GiveMeSport noted Chelsea’s initial bid was about €15 million ($17.3 million/£12.9 million) but was rejected. Chavarria reportedly has a €50 million release clause that was never seriously considered. Personal terms between player and club are reportedly settled, though contract length and wages remain undisclosed.

Memorable Goal Against Atletico Madrid

Though not known for scoring, Chavarria has shown he can strike from distance. On September 24, 2025, in a La Liga match against Atletico Madrid, he scored an incredible long-range goal from 35 yards, equalizing the game 1-1 just before halftime with a powerful shot.