Chelsea completed the signing of Spanish left-back Pep Chavarría from Rayo Vallecano on August 12, 2026, agreeing to a five-year contract running through 2031 [1, 2, 3]. The club paid an initial £16.3 million with an additional £1.7 million in add-ons to secure the 28-year-old defender [4, 1, 2].
Chavarría joined Rayo Vallecano in 2022 from Zaragoza and made 125 appearances over four years in all competitions, including 44 matches in the 2025-26 season alone [4, 1, 2, 3]. He played a key role in Rayo's run to the UEFA Conference League final last season and helped the club to an 8th place finish in LaLiga [1, 2, 3].
Prior to Zaragoza, Chavarría featured for Figueres and Olot during his career [4, 3]. Chelsea signed him to strengthen their left-back options following the departure of Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid [1, 2, 3].
Chavarría expressed excitement about his transfer, calling it a dream to join one of the world's biggest clubs. "It is a big opportunity but I am prepared and will work hard to help the team achieve success," he said [4, 3].
Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season and will open their 2026-27 campaign on August 24 against Fulham [1, 2]. This signing aligns with Chelsea's summer transfer strategy of adding experienced players to improve the squad's depth and quality [3].
