I won't lie, when I first saw the news that Chelsea were closing in on Pep Chavarría, my first reaction was, "Who exactly is this guy?" He's not one of those players you hear about every transfer window, so I had to do a bit of reading before forming an opinion.
Source
The more I thought about it, the more the move started to make sense.
Not every signing has to be a superstar. Sometimes the players who arrive without much hype end up becoming some of the most important members of the squad. Football has taught us that reputation does not always guarantee success.
If Chelsea are ready to spend around £16 million plus add-ons on Chavarría after tracking him for over a month, then it's obvious this is not a panic buy. The club must have seen something they really like about him.
Replacing Marc Cucurella won't be easy because he played a big role for us. Naturally, comparisons will begin as soon as Chavarría puts on the Chelsea shirt, and that's never an easy situation for any new signing. Hopefully, fans give him time instead of expecting him to be perfect from his first match.
One thing I actually like about this deal is his experience. At 28, he's not another young player who's still trying to figure things out. Chelsea have built one of the youngest squads in Europe, so adding someone who's been around a little longer could be exactly what the team needs.
Experience matters, especially during difficult moments in a season. Young players bring energy, but experienced players often bring calmness when things are not going well.
Of course, moving from Spain to the Premier League is a completely different challenge. The pace is quicker, the physical battles are tougher, and every mistake is talked about for days. It won't be an easy adjustment, but every player deserves the chance to settle before people start judging.
I have seen too many Chelsea fans write players off before they have even kicked a ball. Personally, I don't think that's fair. If Chavarría does complete the move, he will have my support from day one because once a player wears the Chelsea badge, I want him to succeed.
At the end of the day, we won't know if this is a good signing until we see him on the pitch. Transfer rumours and highlight videos only tell part of the story not the full story.
For now, I'm choosing to trust the club's recruitment team. Hopefully, a few months from now, we will all be looking back at this transfer and wondering why we ever questioned it in the first place.
