Who is Pep Chavarria? What to know about Chelsea's new left-back signing replacing Marc Cucurella
Chelsea have been busy this summer with several transfers, and among their latest moves is signing a new left-back to fill the gap left by Marc Cucurella. The Blues have already brought in Premier League veterans like Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson, alongside younger talents such as Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace and Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.
Despite all these additions, the departure of Cucurella—who left for Real Madrid during the summer international tournament—meant Chelsea had only one natural left-back, Jorrel Hato, as they started preseason. That situation shifted when the club moved to sign Pep Chavarria, a 28-year-old defender from La Liga.
Background on Pep Chavarria
Currently playing for Rayo Vallecano, Pep Chavarria began his career in Spain's lower divisions. He first played for UE Figueres, then moved to UE Olot in 2018. Real Zaragoza noticed him in 2020 and paid €250,000 to acquire him. Two years later, he transferred to Rayo Vallecano for around €1.8 million.
At Rayo, Chavarria gradually became more important to the team. He played just 356 league minutes in his first season but has since accumulated 5,264 minutes across 67 La Liga appearances over two seasons. It is somewhat unexpected that Chelsea chose a 28-year-old player during what is generally seen as his prime years, given the club’s recent focus on younger signings with resale potential under BlueCo ownership.
What kind of player is Pep Chavarria?
Chavarria contrasts sharply with Marc Cucurella. While Cucurella was known for pushing forward aggressively, Chavarria is more defensively focused. He excels at winning back possession and moving the ball upfield either by passing or dribbling himself.
- Last season’s La Liga defensive ranking: 17th in ground duels won among defenders
- Progressive carries: Ranked 18th in La Liga
- Progressive passes: In the 75th percentile among European full-backs
- Crosses attempted: Eighth highest in La Liga, but with a low completion rate of 16.5%
This shows that although he tries to overlap and send crosses into the box, his accuracy there leaves room for improvement.
Transfer Details and Contract
According to English journalist David Ornstein of The Athletic, Chelsea and Rayo Vallecano have not officially agreed on a transfer fee yet. Spanish outlet Marca suggests the fee could reach around €25 million ($28.8m/£21.4m), which would be a record sale for Rayo. Another source, Ben Jacobs from GiveMeSport, reports Chelsea’s initial offer was €15 million ($17.3m/£12.9m) but was rejected. Despite a €50 million release clause, that figure was never considered.
Personal terms between Chelsea and Chavarria are reportedly settled, though contract length and salary details remain undisclosed.
Memorable Moment: Long-Range Goal vs Atletico Madrid
Chavarria isn’t known for scoring much, having netted only twice for Rayo over four seasons. Still, he once scored a spectacular long-range goal against Atletico Madrid on September 24, 2025. From 35 yards out, he smashed a powerful shot into the net during first-half stoppage time to equalize the match at 1-1.
