Chelsea announced Spanish left-back Pep Chavarria as their latest summer signing from Rayo Vallecano, with the 28-year-old putting pen to paper on a contract until 2031.
Chavarria is Xabi Alonso's 11th new arrival of the summer window as the former Real Madrid boss looks to overhaul the squad. The Blues are the biggest spenders this summer, with Chavarria's signing pushing the club past the £350million mark.
A dream move for Chavarria
Chavarria described joining Chelsea as a 'dream'. He said: “I’m so excited to get started. This is a dream for me as Chelsea are one of the biggest clubs in the world. It is a big opportunity but I am prepared and will work hard to help the team achieve success.
“There are a lot of people who have helped me get to this moment and I have to thank my family. They have always supported me and today is only possible because of them.”
Who is Pawgli?
Chavarria posed for pictures signing his deal alongside his girlfriend, social media influencer Pawgli, who has 1.1million followers on TikTok and 210,000 on Instagram – more than the new Chelsea star's 121,000.
Pawgli, 27, goes by her childhood nickname received due to her resemblance to The Jungle Book character Mowgli and has not publicly shared her full legal name. She posted a picture of her cuddling up to Chavarria on her account as he made his move official, as well as snaps of him being shown around Chelsea's Cobham Training Ground and behind-the-scenes of his announcement video.
Couple's public romance
The couple confirmed their romance in November 2025 after being spotted on a getaway together in Budapest. Pawgli also checked out her new surroundings, wandering around the capital to see Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament.
On her post, she added the emotional caption: “I told you and trusted that life was going to give you back all your effort, resilience and discipline. What a mix of emotions, but always very happy and proud of you and all the good that happens to you.”
To which the left-back gushingly replied: “This is also because of you my love. Thank you for always being with me. I love you so much, always together.”
Career path
Pawgli posts women's beauty and fashion-trend videos on TikTok, with her most popular video receiving over seven million views. Chavarria started his career with hometown side UE Figueres before joining fellow minnows Olot. In 2020, he earned his break by signing for Real Zaragoza, joining Vallecano in La Liga in 2022.
He played 44 times for Los Franjirrojos last season, including eight times in the Conference League.
