RAYO VALLECANO NEWS

Isi Palazon - Scores first of the year Isi Palazon scored one goal to go with three shots (one on goal), two crosses (one accurate) and one corner in Friday's 2-0 win against Almeria.

Impact Isi Palazon went to work early, trying his first shot in the 12th minute. The 28-year-old mid made up for his early miss by burying his team's first goal of the season on a penalty in the 20th minute. Isi Palazon kept up the pressure in the second half but his two other attempts were blocked. He also managed to win two free kicks in the second half.

AUGUST 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Stole Dimitrievski - Clean sheet Dimitrievski recorded five saves and allowed zero goals in Friday's 2-0 win against Almeria.

Impact Dimitrievski helped Rayo Vallecano open their season with a win by putting up a wall against Almeria. His five saves ties his high from last season. The 29-year-old keeper had little to worry about early in the match but faced two shots in the final 10 minutes of the first half and came up with three more saves in the second half.

AUGUST 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Raul De Tomas - Out for season opener De Tomas (calf) is out for Friday's trip to Almeria, according to manager Francisco Rodriguez.

Impact De Tomas is set to miss Friday's season opener as he deals with a calf injury that has caused him pain for almost a month. It's purely a pain management issue, meaning the timeline for his return is uncertain. If can get back to full training de Tomas could return as soon as an Aug. 21 trip to Granada. Radamel Falcao will get the start for Friday's La Liga opener.

AUGUST 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Kike Perez - Loaned to Rayo Perez completed a loan move to Rayo from Valladolid, where he will spend the 2023-24 season.

Impact Perez is on the way to Rayo for the 2023-24 season, after Valladolid were relegated to the Segunda Division. Perez was consistently excellent despite the relegation and now earns the move back to the top flight. If Valladolid fail to earn promotion Perez could be in line for a permanent move elsewhere in the top flight.

AUGUST 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Martin Pascual - Returns from busy loan Pascual returned to Rayo after spending 2022-23 on loan with Ibiza.

Impact Pascual played a major role on loan with Ibiza, totaling 35 appearances and earning nearly 3,000 minutes on the pitch. He now returns to the Primera division with Rayo where he will hope to compete for a first team role.

AUGUST 7, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Oscar Trejo - Starts in preseason match Trejo (calf) started and played 63 minutes during Saturday's 1-1 preseason draw to Porto.

Impact Trejo looks to of recovered from a late season calf injury as he played 63 minutes on Saturday. As long as there are no setbacks, the forward is set to start on Aug 11 against Almeria.

JULY 29, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Florian Lejeune - Remains in Rayo Lejeune has agreed to a four-year contract with Rayo Vallecano, keeping him in Madrid after spending a year on loan from Alaves.

Impact Lejeune was set to return to Alaves, however has decided to stay with Rayo after signing a four-year deal with the team. He had a decent 2022/23 campaign, recording four goals with 119 clearances and keeping eight clean sheets in 31 appearances. He will continue to remain starting center back, especially with the departure of Alejandro Catena.

JULY 28, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Alfonso Espino - Signs with Rayo Espino signed with Rayo as a free agent after departing Cadiz.

Impact Espino didn't renew his contract with Cadiz and instead penned a deal with Rayo to stay in the top flight. The defender earned 33 clean sheets across 105 appearances in La Liga while scoring two goals. Espino is a defense-first option who likely won't roam forward too frequently with his new side.

JULY 17, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Aridane - Pens Rayo deal Aridane signed with Rayo on a two-year contract as a free agent, Rayo announced Wednesday.

Impact Aridane departed Osasuna after making 152 appearances with the club over seven seasons. The center-back now remains in La Liga with Rayo, where he could take a substantial role, though likely as a veteran depth option.

JULY 5, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Falcao - Remains backup option for Rayo Falcao scored two goals in 27 La Liga appearances (three starts) this season for Rayo Vallecano.

Impact Falcao continued as an impact substitute, but he wasn't as effective in the role as he was in 2021/22 when he scored six goals. The 37-year-old striker is out of contract with Rayo this summer and could be set for a move away from the club.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Raul De Tomas - Ends season as starter De Tomas scored four goals from 22 shots (nine on target) across Rayo's final six matches of the campaign from May onwards.

Impact De Tomas missed the entire first half of the season due to drama at his previous club Espanyol and he wasn't able to join up with Rayo until January. The 28-year-old did not return to action in the best of form right away, but he finished the campaign strong with five of his nine starts and all four of his goals coming in that final-month stretch. He is likely to begin 2023/24 as the first-choice striker.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Sergio Camello - Successful loan stint Camello tallied six goals and five assists from 38 La Liga appearances (27 starts) this season for Rayo Vallecano.

Impact Camello surprisingly beat out Raul de Tomas and Radamel Falcao to become Rayo's starting striker for much of this campaign, though he did fade away from the XI for the final month. The 22-year-old is set to return to his parent club Atletico Madrid this summer, but don't be surprised to see him on the move once again ahead of 2023/24.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Andres Martin - Backup option after injury Martin made nine La Liga appearances (three starts) on the left wing this season after returning from an injury that had ruled him out until the turn of the calendar year.

Impact Martin underwent an operation in October for an undisclosed injury that delayed his season debut until January, and the 23-year-old was a Alvaro Garcia's backup on the left wing once he was fit enough to return.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Alvaro Garcia - Active performance in season finale Garcia took two shots and created three chances in the 3-0 defeat against Mallorca. He also made two interceptions in the match.

Impact Garcia ends the campaign with two goals and two assists across 35 La Liga appearances (34 starts) for Rayo mostly on the left wing, and the 30-year-old should enter next season as a first-choice starter once again.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Salvi Sanchez - Features off bench in season finale Salvi subbed into the match against Mallorca in the 73rd minute, taking two shots and creating a chance in the 3-0 defeat.

Impact Salvi made 24 La Liga appearances (four starts) in his debut season with Rayo after transferring from Cadiz last summer, but the 32-year-old is stuck behind locked-in starters Isi Palazon and Alvaro Garcia on either wing.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Jose Pozo - Used sparingly by Rayo Pozo made eight La Liga appearances (one start) in attacking midfield this season, tallying just 11 minutes of playing time since the turn of the calendar year.

Impact Pozo has played just 13 league games for Rayo over the last two seasons, with his only start in that span being a first-half showing against Atletico Madrid in October 2022. The 27-year-old has one year left on his contract heading into the summer, but there seems to be very little future for him at the club.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Unai Lopez - Remains backup option mostly Lopez tallied one goal and two assists in 34 La Liga appearances (12 starts) in attacking midfield this season.

Impact Lopez was slightly more effective during his sophomore campaign with Rayo as he tallied a few direct goal involvements from midfield, but the 27-year-old was still behind the likes of Oscar Trejo, Oscar Valentin and Santi Comesana in the team's depth chart.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Pathe Ciss - Mostly backup option this season Ciss scored a goal and kept two clean sheets across 32 La Liga appearances (12 starts) in defensive midfield for Rayo Vallecano this campaign.

Impact Ciss remained behind Oscar Valentin and Santi Comesana in Rayo's midfield depth chart this season, but Comesana is set to depart from the club in the summer so he could take a step up in his role heading into 2023/24.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Óscar Valentín - Another season as starter Valentin kept three clean sheets in 34 La Liga appearances (29 starts) this campaign for Rayo Vallecano.

Impact Valentin posted a very similar stat line to 2021/22 this season, finishing with 13 shots, 19 assists, 44 interceptions and no goals or assists from defensive midfield. The 28-year-old should continue as a regular starter in the next campaign, though his midfield partner Santi Comesana is leaving the club.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Ivan Balliu - Continues as starter Balliu kept nine clean sheets in 37 La Liga appearances (all starts) this season for Rayo Vallecano.

Impact Balliu has started 72 of a possible 76 league matches across the last two campaigns for Rayo, and the 31-year-old should continue as the preferred right-back next season ahead of Mario Hernandez.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Esteban Saveljich - Hardly features this season Saveljich made just one stoppage-time appearance off the bench in La Liga this campaign in an October win over Sevilla.

Impact Saveljich started 21 league matches for Rayo last season but featured just twice in all competitions during 2022/23. The 32-year-old center-back is out of contract with the club this summer.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Abdul Mumin - Ends season as starter Mumin kept one clean sheet in 16 appearances (nine starts) during his rookie campaign in La Liga, with six of those starts coming in Rayo's final 10 matches.

Impact Mumin was mostly a backup to Florian Lejeune and Alejandro Catena in central defense during his first season with Rayo after joining from Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes last summer. But the 25-year-old started featuring more consistently in the XI towards the end of the campaign and might begin 2023/24 as a starter.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE