Chelsea will know the need to strengthen the squad this summer. They have completed one signing already, bringing in Marco Palestra from Atalanta.

He was recently named the Serie A defender of the season. So, there is a lot of excitement around the signing.

Palestra is exceptional going forward and carrying the ball up the pitch. It is the defensive side of his game that might not be as well-polished though.

Chelsea will be looking to add to the opposite flank as well, especially after Marc Cucurella's move to Real Madrid. They have their eyes set on a bit of a different profile to Palestra. But the good thing is that Xabi Alonso seems to be the driving factor once again.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have agreed personal terms with Pep Chavarria. They have the green light from the player.

Chavarria wants to join Chelsea and wants to play for Alonso. Club-to-club talks are underway with Rayo Vallecano and the deal is close.

Chavarria is not a household name for English football fans. He currently plays for Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish top flight.

If Chavarria does complete the move to Chelsea, it would represent a slow rise to the top of world football. He is 28 years of age and it was only in 2022 that he first got a chance to play in the Spanish top division, when Rayo Vallecano signed him. Before that, he had always played in the lower leagues.

Chavarria's profile does feel somewhat similar to Cucurella's. He also seems like a hardworking, tenacious defender. Going forward, he does have quality and some good feet.

That being said, it would be a mistake to expect a lot of output from Chavarria. In 125 games for Rayo Vallecano, he has scored just two goals.

That makes the move from Chelsea very interesting. Generally, Alonso's wing-backs have been known to be one of the focal points when it comes to a team's output.

Just look at the numbers Alejandro Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong were putting up at Bayer Leverkusen under him.

So, it is somewhat unexpected that Alonso wants a player who is unlikely to provide that output to his team.

It is very possible that he has not been signed as the first-choice left-back or wing-back. Let's not forget how well Jorrel Hato did in the second half of the previous campaign. Alonso might already view him as a starter.

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