Chelsea are close to agreeing a £16.3million deal to sign defender Pep Chavarria from Rayo Vallecano, the Press Association understands. All parties are confident of a deal being struck for a player the Blues have been chasing for much of the summer. Chavarria played against Crystal Palace in last season’s Conference League final (Jordan Pettitt/PA)Despite his age, Chavarria has only four seasons of top-flight experience having moved from Segunda Division side Real Zaragoza in 2022. Chavarria would be the third defensive signing of the summer as the Blues continue to remodel their squad. A deal was reached on Monday for defender Trevoh Chalobah to join former Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas at Como as he prepares to lead the club into their first Champions League campaign.