Chelsea want Pep Chavarria as Marc Cucurella replacement

Chelsea have identified Real Vallecano left-back Pep Chavarria as a replacement for Marc Cucurella, who left for Real Madrid earlier this month.

The Blues sanctioned Cucurella's surprise departure to Madrid recently, and they have yet to find a suitable replacement for the Spaniard.

Jorrel Hato is widely expected to start from left-back next season, but manager Xabi Alonso would like a proper deputy behind him.

Chavarria has now emerged as a top target for the Blues and he could be signed on the cheap due to a £21 million release clause in his deal.

The Blues have yet to trigger the clause figure and prefer to negotiate a slightly higher fee with a long-term payment plan instead.

Chavarria, 28, made 44 appearances for Vallecano last campaign. He was a consistent starter for the La Liga outfit across all competitions.

The Spaniard has already given the green light to a move to the Blues despite the fact that he won't be a regular starter for them.