Chelsea step up Chavarria pursuit as Rayo talks continue
The Spain international already has a full agreement in place with Chelsea personally, and has even taken a pay cut of his own to help smooth a deal between the clubs, leaving the fee as the last remaining obstacle.
Chelsea are understood to be readying a new offer worth around €25m including bonuses, an improvement on their opening bid, which Rayo Vallecano rejected for including less than €15m even with add-ons factored in.
Rayo are holding out for closer to €25m without bonuses attached, with club president Raul Martin Presa personally overseeing the negotiations from the Spanish side. Talks are expected to move quickly once the two clubs settle on a structure both parties can accept, reports Mark.
Chavarria has emerged as a specific target of Xabi Alonso, who sees the 28-year-old as capable of playing across several positions and wants him in west London to fill the void left by Marc Cucurella’s exit for Real Madrid. The left-back’s blend of experience in La Liga, energy and attacking output from wide areas has made him one of the more sought-after full-backs on the market this summer, despite a relatively late breakthrough in his career.
For Chavarria, the move represents the chance to fulfil an ambition to play in the Premier League with one of English football’s most prestigious clubs, and he is hopeful the two sides can finalise terms soon.
Alonso is understood to favour full-backs who can offer energy and technical composure in possession, qualities he believes Chavarria possesses in abundance after his performances for Rayo over the past two seasons. His willingness to lower his own financial demands underlines how keen he is to push the move through.
Rayo, for their part, are in no rush to sell one of their most reliable players, but the prospect of a lucrative offer from a Premier League club has changed the dynamic considerably. A resolution to the Chavarria saga is expected to become clearer in the coming days as talks between the clubs progress.
