Chelsea are on the verge of securing their ninth signing of the summer transfer window, with left-back Pep Chavarria closing in on a move to Stamford Bridge under new head coach Xabi Alonso.
The 28-year-old Spaniard has reportedly already agreed personal terms with the west London club and is expected to undergo a medical examination once a formal agreement is reached between Chelsea and his current club. The transfer would mark another significant piece of business for Alonso as he continues to reshape his squad ahead of the new season.
Chavarria enjoyed a productive campaign with Rayo Vallecano last season, featuring in 44 matches across all competitions for the LaLiga side. Among those appearances was a start in a major European final, in which Rayo Vallecano suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, with Jean-Philippe Mateta netting the decisive goal.
During the campaign, the left-back contributed three assists and found the net once himself, scoring in a 3-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid. His performances have evidently caught the eye of Chelsea's recruitment team, who view him as a versatile option capable of operating in multiple defensive roles.
Rather than being brought in as an outright starter, Chavarria's arrival is understood to be part of a broader plan at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are reportedly looking to hand greater responsibility to Jorrel Hato going forward, with Chavarria instead providing valuable depth and competition at both left-back and left wing-back positions.
Should the deal be finalized, Chavarria would become the ninth new addition to Alonso's squad this summer, joining a list of arrivals that already includes Marco Palestra, Emmanuel Emegha, Geovany Quenda, Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Danny Welbeck, Valentin Barco and Jordan Henderson. The scale of the incoming business underlines the extent of the rebuild taking place at Chelsea as Alonso looks to stamp his mark on the club following his appointment.
While new faces continue to arrive, Chelsea are also finalizing an outgoing deal involving academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah. The defender is reportedly closing in on a departure to Italian side Como, with an agreement said to have been reached between the two clubs.
Chalobah was a regular fixture in Chelsea's backline throughout last season, making 47 appearances across all competitions under three different managers during a turbulent campaign for the club. Despite his consistent playing time and the high regard in which he is held internally, he was reportedly not deemed untouchable following Alonso's arrival as head coach.
Chelsea are said not to have been actively pursuing a sale of Chalobah, but the level of interest shown by Como has reportedly pushed the move closer to completion. His departure would mark the end of a lengthy association with the club for the homegrown defender, who has been part of the Chelsea setup since coming through the academy ranks.
With both incoming and outgoing deals progressing simultaneously, Chelsea's summer squad overhaul continues at pace as Alonso works to build a team capable of competing on multiple fronts next season. Further announcements regarding both Chavarria's arrival and Chalobah's departure are expected in the coming days as formalities are completed.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport (standard-football).