Chelsea are on the verge of completing their 11th signing of the summer transfer window after reaching an agreement with Rayo Vallecano over the transfer of their left-back, with the player expected to travel to London for a medical before putting pen to paper on a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge.
According to reports from transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, the Spanish defender is set to arrive in the UK on Friday to finalise the formalities of his move. The deal comes after weeks of negotiations between the two clubs, which had been ongoing since late June. The player was a key figure for Rayo Vallecano last season, helping the club reach the final of the Conference League, where they were beaten by Crystal Palace in Leipzig back in May.
His arrival is seen as a direct response to the departure of Marc Cucurella, who has left the west London club, creating a vacancy in the left-back position. Once his move is confirmed, the new signing will provide competition for Jorrel Hato as manager Xabi Alonso looks to strengthen his defensive options heading into the new season.
The left side of Chelsea's defence has already seen significant investment this summer, with Alonso having bolstered the right flank by securing the signature of Italian wing-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta in a deal reportedly worth £47 million. Palestra has reportedly impressed during Chelsea's pre-season tour across Australia and Asia, giving fans an early glimpse of what to expect from the new arrival.
The expected signing of the Rayo Vallecano defender would mark the club's 11th addition of the transfer window, continuing an extraordinarily busy period of recruitment under the new coaching regime. Other players to have joined Chelsea this summer include Palestra, Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Danny Welbeck, Jordan Henderson and Harrison Bettoni. In addition, the club has also finalised previously agreed deals for Valentin Barco, Geovany Quenda, Emmanuel Emegha and Dastan Satpayev.
While incomings have dominated headlines, Chelsea are also expected to see a wave of departures before the September 1 transfer deadline closes the market. Interest has reportedly grown in several first-team players, including winger Pedro Neto, full-back Malo Gusto and young defender Josh Acheampong, all of whom could leave Stamford Bridge before the window shuts.
Some exits have already been confirmed, with Andrey Santos, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrique George departing the club following Cucurella's exit. Meanwhile, midfielder Enzo Fernandez continues to be strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid, in what would be one of the biggest transfers of the summer if it materialises.
Chelsea are also reportedly working on loan exits for several of their younger players before the deadline. According to BBC Sport, the club is considering season-long loan moves for a number of academy graduates, including Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, Omari Kellyman, Reggie Walsh, Shim Mheuka and Ishe Samuels-Smith, as the west London side looks to give its emerging talents regular first-team football elsewhere.
Among those, Kavuma-McQueen has reportedly held discussions over a season-long loan switch to Championship side Portsmouth, according to Standard Sport, as Chelsea continues to reshape its squad ahead of a pivotal campaign under Xabi Alonso.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.