Chelsea have announced the signing of left-back Pep Chavarria from Rayo Vallecano.

Chavarria has signed a five-year deal with the Blues following a reported £16.3m (€19m) move from Vallecano.

The 28-year-old is expected to replace Marc Cucurella in the Chelsea squad, with the latter joining Real Madrid earlier in the transfer window.

Chavarria made 125 appearances for Vallecano across four seasons, while his last game for the club came in last term's Conference League final defeat to Crystal Palace.

"I’m so excited to get started," Chavarria told the Chelsea website.

"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."

Since his debut for Vallecano, Chavarria led in assists (eight) among the club's defenders, while he ranked second for chances created (99) and third for interceptions (83).

He also ranked fourth for both duels won (388) and tackles won (109) among Vallecano defenders, and is now set for a key role in the Chelsea squad.

Chavarria could feature for Chelsea in their final pre-season game against Real Sociedad on Saturday, while his Premier League debut could come against Fulham on August 24.

The Blues also face Luton Town in the EFL Cup before the first home match in the league, which comes against Brighton.