Pep Chavarria: Chelsea's Exciting New Signing Steps Up to Fill Cucurella's Shoes With Bold Potential

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of left back Pep Chavarría, who has quickly raised hopes of plugging the gap left by Marc Cucurella's departure in the summer — though his numbers don't entirely reflect that potential just yet.

Real Madrid's acquisition of Cucurella during the World Cup stripped Chelsea not only of the squad's most iconic hairstyle, but also one of its most dangerous attacking outlets. Just two players surpassed the marauding fullback in assists or chances created in the Premier League last season, as opponents found it nearly impossible to handle his whirlwind presence down the left side.

Chavarría may not be able to match Cucurella's distinctive appearance, but the former Rayo Vallecano defender is self-assured about his ability to provide a comparable attacking contribution.

"As a player, I love to attack, defend, box-to-box and I have a lot of intensity," the 28-year-old told Chelsea's official media team after putting pen to paper on a five-year deal on Wednesday. "I have a lot of energy on the pitch. They are my biggest abilities. I have played in Spain all my life, and for me the Premier League is the best league in the world right now, with a lot of quality and intensity. I think that it's the best league for me."

Rayo were not as dependent on Chavarría for chance creation as Chelsea were on Cucurella. The energetic fullback provided a consistent supply of service in the attacking third, primarily through crosses — few clubs delivered the ball into the penalty area from wide areas as frequently as the beaten Conference League finalists. This has not been a typical feature of Chelsea's play recently — nearly half the Premier League crossed the ball more often than the west London side last campaign — but that style could evolve under Xabi Alonso.

Stats via Opta.

New Chelsea manager Alonso is widely regarded as the key figure behind this move for his fellow Spaniard, who marks a continued shift away from the club's previous habit of targeting exclusively young talent.

"As a person, I am very friendly and familiar," Chavarría added following a transfer believed to have reached $28.8 million (€25 million), which would stand as the biggest sale in Rayo's history. "I am very happy always to be with my teammates. I'm very happy to be here and I want to meet my new teammates."

Chavarría Toes the Party Line in First Interview

Welcome to Chelsea, Pep. ☕️ pic.twitter.com/oq1KPncIzs

Chavarría may not be quite as seasoned as the likes of Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson, but he followed the pattern set by Chelsea's summer signings by heaping praise on the club in his opening remarks.

Morgan Rogers turned down Arsenal, reportedly his other main suitors this summer, to declare Chelsea the biggest club in London, while Maxence Lacroix enthusiastically described the Blues as "the best club in the world."

"I'm so excited to get started," Chavarría enthused. "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."