Chelsea have been informed that Rayo Vallecano will only sanction the sale of Pep Chavarría if the Spanish defender’s £42.4 million release clause is activated.
Softfootball gathered The Blues initially believed they had encouragement to negotiate a deal and opened talks with an offer worth £15 million, but that proposal was rejected by the La Liga club.
Chelsea have since indicated they are willing to raise their bid to around £21.2 million, although the improved offer remains well below Rayo Vallecano’s valuation.
Rayo insist their asking price is justified despite Chavarría spending much of his career in Spain’s second tier. Club officials believe the 28-year-old’s underlying performance metrics place him among the league’s top left-backs, comparing his level to Marc Cucurella, whom Chelsea sold to Real Madrid for £51.8 million earlier this summer.
Chelsea’s interest is understood to be driven by head coach Xabi Alonso, who was impressed by Chavarría’s performance against his Real Madrid side last November.
