Chelsea submit opening offer for surprise summer signing

30 Jun 2026 11:05 BST | 4 min read

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

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Chelsea have submitted an opening offer worth €9 million for Rayo Vallecano defender Pep Chavarria, according to reports in Spain.

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The 28-year-old has been earmarked as a top target by the Blues hierarchy following the sale of Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid, and they are eager to finalise a deal to bring him to Stamford Bridge before the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

Current ETV

Pep Chavarría

D (L)

Rayo Vallecano

Pep Chavarría

D (L)

Rayo Vallecano

ETV Range

€10M - €12.2M

Chavarria, who is capable of playing as a left-back or a left wing-back, made 44 appearances across all competitions for Rayo Vallecano last season, including their 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Europa Conference League final.

Chelsea are expected to promote Jorrel Hato into a starting role as Cucurella’s replacement next season, but they are keen to finalise a deal for Chavarria, who would then be the back-up option to the Dutchman.

Fabrizio Romano and The Athletic have confirmed that club-to-club talks are underway, with Chelsea keen to finalise a deal as soon as possible, while Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo claim that an opening bid of €9m has been lodged by Xabi Alonso’s side.

It’s reported that Rayo Vallecano have rejected this offer, as they look to earn a higher fee for the left-back, but negotiations are expected to intensify over the coming days amid Chelsea’s pursuit of his signature.

© IMAGO - Chelsea want to sign Pep Chavarria

Who else will Chelsea sign this summer?

In addition to Chavarria, Chelsea are also expected to sign Marco Palestra, with a deal in place for the Atalanta star.

The Italy international is in London to undergo a medical ahead of a €55m transfer and he is expected to be deployed in a right wing-back role next season, with Malo Gusto’s future at Stamford Bridge in doubt as a result of the deal.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are keen to finalise a deal for Crystal Palace star Maxence Lacroix too as Alonso looks to oversee a major defensive rebuild after a hugely disappointing 2025-26 campaign.

In attack, Morgan Rogers remains Chelsea’s top target, but Arsenal also want to sign the England superstar and it’s understood that a move to the Emirates Stadium is more likely at this stage, with Mikel Arteta’s side able to offer Champions League football.

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