news-engine

Xabi Alonso finally signs Marc Cucurella replacement as Chelsea complete £16m transfer Chelsea have completed the seventh signing of the Xabi Alonso era at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have announced the signing of Pep Chavarria from Rayo Vallecano. The Blues have forked out €19m (£16.3m), plus add-ons, for the 28-year-old defender, who's become the seventh signing of the Xabi Alonso era at Stamford Bridge. Upon signing a five-year contract with Chelsea, Chavarria told club media: "I’m so excited to get started. This is a dream for me as Chelsea are one of the biggest clubs in the world. It is a big opportunity, but I am prepared and will work hard to help the team achieve success. "There are a lot of people who have helped me get to this moment, and I have to thank my family. They have always supported me, and today is only possible because of them." football.london understands that Chelsea first approached the Spanish outfit at the end of June to enquire about the availability of Chavarria, following the request of the new manager. Alonso was said to have been impressed with the left-back, who helped Rayo Vallecano finish eighth in La Liga and reach the final of the Conference League. FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page The Blues then began club-to-club negotiations to fill the void left by Marc Cucurella, who joined Real Madrid in a deal worth £51.7m. football.london understands that, at one stage, talks proved frustrating for all parties, hence the delay. It's said that Chelsea were initially quoted €15m (£12.8m), but the Spanish outfit increased the asking price to €25m (£21.3m); they have since found a middle ground. Chavarria has become the seventh signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Marco Palestra, Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Valentin Barco, Danny Welbeck, and Jordan Henderson. Speaking to reporters before embarking on a pre-season tour of Australia and Asia, Alonso claimed he and the sporting leadership team will be exploring their options up until the final day of the transfer window. The Chelsea manager said: "We have to be ready. The market is open for a few weeks. We need to be aware of different positions, different situations, so for sure, we have a plan, an idea, and we need to assess in the right moments. "We can’t say what’s going to happen, but some things might happen. We need to know that probably there will still be some movements. We need to be flexible and quick to act. "The main thing is that we have a clear idea, a clear plan that we have built. Probably it will change until the last day of the market being open. We want to build a competitive team. "We are in that process. We have great quality, great talent, and we need to know what it takes to compete in the Premier League. We want a squad with the right balance between quality and mentality."