Chelsea's €19m Chavarria move signals a break from the Cucurella mold

Chelsea are closing in on Pep Chavarria, with the Rayo Vallecano wing-back set to become the club's fifth signing of the summer. The move is also a clear sign of Xabi Alonso reshaping the left side of his squad. The 28-year-old made 44 appearances for Rayo across all competitions last season. According to Ben Jacobs, Chelsea will pay an initial €19m, with bonuses potentially taking the total to €25m as previously reported in Spain. Jacobs says the deal is not done yet, but finalisation is close. Chavarria is expected to arrive as a potential replacement for Marc Cucurella. The comparison is useful because this is not a like-for-like swap. Chavarria is quicker and far more direct, with a natural instinct to overlap and deliver crosses. Cucurella, by contrast, used to drift inside and focus on creating passing angles. Those differences showed up in last season's league numbers. Chavarria recorded 20 key passes, compared with 36 for Cucurella, but delivered more than twice as many crosses. In other words, Chelsea should look wider and more adventurous when Chavarria is on the pitch. He is set to compete with Jorrel Hato at left-back, and Alonso could also use him as a wing-back if he moves away from the 4-2-3-1 he has used in early pre-season, whether that means a conservative 3-5-2 or a flat four at the back. Hato remains the safer choice; Chavarria brings speed and penetration. Chelsea had also looked at Lewis Hall, whose situation at Newcastle United is uncertain. Instead, they have turned to Chavarria, which could clear a path for Manchester United to sign the England defender. At 28, Chavarria also fits a broader shift in Chelsea's recruitment. After two years at Real Zaragoza and four at Rayo Vallecano, he arrives with real experience rather than untapped potential. Xabi Alonso is making clear that this Chelsea side will not depend only on young projects.