Rayo Vallecano Springs a Surprise, Registers Previously Out-of-Favor Raúl de Tomás

One of the biggest surprises in the final hours of the summer transfer window came from Rayo Vallecano. The club decided to register striker Raúl de Tomás, for whom they had actively sought a new team throughout July and August. Initially, he wasn't in coach Beñat San José's plans, but he will now get another chance with the squad. Raúl de Tomás, whose contract runs until 2027, returned to Rayo Vallecano this summer after an unsuccessful loan spell at Qatari club Al-Wakrah. Although his future seemed to lie away from the Madrid team, he ultimately stayed and was officially registered for the season.

A year ago, finding himself out of favor with then-coach Iñigo Pérez, De Tomás opted for a loan move to Al-Wakrah. His goal was to accumulate playing time, regain his best form, and rebuild his confidence. However, his stint in Qatar didn't unfold as expected, ending after just a few months with 13 official appearances, only three of which were starts, and three goals in a total of 431 minutes played. An injury in early 2024 accelerated his departure, and the loan agreement was terminated in February. This means the striker hasn't played in an official match for almost nine months, with his last appearance on January 7 against Al-Arabi, where he played just 22 minutes.

During pre-season training, Raúl de Tomás was separated from the main group and trained individually. When all signs pointed to him being sold or loaned out again, the lack of concrete offers led the club to give him a final opportunity to prove himself and help the team, hoping he could once again become the important player he once was. Since his return to Rayo in 2022, when he became the club's most expensive transfer in history (around ten million euros paid to Espanyol), Raúl de Tomás has struggled to find consistency in his performances.