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Chelsea ‘open transfer talks with Pep Chavarria as Marc Cucurella replacement Pep Chavarria has emerged as a serious candidate to replace Cucurella at Stamford Bridge Credit: Getty But Pep Chavarria is not a name many expected them to go for. At 28, the Rayo Vallecano star is vastly more experienced than the young guns Chelsea have based their recruitment strategy around in recent years. According to Fabrizio Romano , Chelsea and Rayo are in direct discussions as they try to thrash out a deal. Chavarria himself is said to be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge , which would be his first foray away from Spanish football . The former Zaragoza star is under contract until 2030 but his Rayo contract includes a release clause. Chelsea are now weighing up an official bid for Chavarria, who also has admirers at Bayer Leverkusen . Chavarria has scored twice in 125 appearances for Rayo. And he started their 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in last month’s Conference League final.