Chelsea Identifies Cucurella's Replacement After His Move to Real Madrid

Chelsea has begun its efforts to sign a new left-back to compensate for the departure of Spaniard Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid, as part of the team's rebuilding plan under the leadership of new head coach Xabi Alonso.

The Spanish newspaper "Marca" indicated that Pep Chavarria, the Rayo Vallecano full-back, has become one of the top candidates to join Chelsea during the summer transfer window, following Cucurella's move to Real Madrid for 60 million euros.

The newspaper added that Chavarria, who is 28 years old, is under contract with Rayo Vallecano until 2030, and the cost of acquiring him is expected to be much less than the sale value of Cucurella, making him a financially suitable option for the London club.

Although the release clause in the player's contract amounts to 50 million euros, Rayo Vallecano does not intend to demand the full amount, at a time when the player is also attracting interest from Villarreal due to his ability to perform both defensive and offensive roles efficiently.

The same source confirmed that Chelsea is considering making a formal offer in the coming days to sign Chavarria, who played in 33 La Liga matches last season, scoring one goal and assisting two, after joining Rayo Vallecano in 2022 from Real Zaragoza for less than two million euros.