Chelsea complete signing of Rayo Vallecano defender Pep Chavarría
Chelsea have completed the signing of defender Pep Chavarría from Rayo Vallecano, the club confirmed on 11 August 2026.
The move brings a defender who was a regular fixture for Rayo Vallecano throughout 2025, featuring in every competition the club entered that year.
A heavy workload in 2025
Chavarría made 44 competitive appearances for Rayo Vallecano in 2025, totalling 3,519 minutes across three competitions and scoring once.
The bulk of that time came in La Liga, where he played 33 matches for 2,681 minutes. He also featured eight times in the UEFA Europa Conference League, adding up to 720 minutes, and made three appearances in the Copa del Rey worth 118 minutes.
What it means for Chelsea
The volume of minutes Chavarría racked up last year points to a defender who was trusted with regular game time across domestic and European fixtures alike.
With the new season already under way, Chelsea will look to integrate their new arrival as they build out their defensive options.