In: Aridane (Osasuna)
Loan returns: Randy Nteka (Elche), Joni Montiel (Levante), Bebe (Real Zaragoza)
Out: Santi Comesana (Villarreal), Alejandro Catena (Osasuna), Fran Garcia (Real Madrid), Sergio Camello (Atletico Madrid), Florian Lejeune (Alaves), Mario Suarez, Diego Lopez, Mario Hernandez and Esteban Saveljich (free)
Summary so far: If Sporting Director David Cobeno didn’t have such a good track record in recent years, you might be getting a little concerned. Currently Rayo have just six defenders on the books, only three of which have any real La Liga experience and no left-backs.
The big loss is obviously Andoni Iraola, who exits the club with an historic legacy at Vallecas. Replacement Francisco probably isn’t the most inspiring replacement, but he has shown he can do a good job, either with teams at the top of the second division or in the bottom half of La Liga. He looked to play with a three at Elche last, but that may well have been resource-based. Given the above, he might adjust his ideas accordingly.
The absence of Comesana is a major loss. Catena and Garcia were also stalwarts of both Iraola and this version of Rayo, while Lejeune and Camello were starters last year too, it will be a total rebuild at the back.
Aridane coming in for free from Osasuna is a neat veteran pick up, and is likely to essentially swap places with Catena going the other way. Mario Suarez stopped contributing on the pitch a while ago, but the veteran midfielder was a good presence in the dressing room. So far, you’d say it’s time they got a move on.
Key Need: If you hadn’t gathered from the above, Rayo need defenders, and quick. Garcia barely missed a game for Rayo over the past two seasons and the same could be said for Catena – both were fundamental for Iraola’s style too. Francisco will need to mould this side to his vision, but if he does want to replicate what his predecessor did and merely tweak things, then he needs a left-back that can hit the byline regularly. Along with Balliu on the right side, those two back up star wingers Alvaro Garcia and Isi Palazon further forward, giving them options, the ball, and giving the team more width.
Catena was not only solid without the ball, but was the leading protagonist with it at the back. Build up play started with him, and he is smart with his use of the ball. He could generally pick out the other side of the pitch quite accurately too. Abdul Mumin and Aridane are effective defenders, but neither offer that. At any rate, more central defenders too.
Beneath the Surface: Rayo are unlikely to double up every position with a solid or guaranteed alternative, so looking at Raul de Tomas, Garcia and Isi will give Cobeno encouragement that he doesn’t need to alter that area of the pitch too drastically. In the engine room, they could do with another midfielder. Comesana looked uncouth at times, but he was always in the right place and moved the ball well. Enough help for Oscar Valentin further back, enough help for Trejo further forward. Pathe Ciss can do a job as a deeper presence, but Unai Lopez never quite seems to convince enough as part of the deeper two. While he has some way to go to emulate the creativity that Trejo brings, you would picture him being pushed forward rather than back.
All of this is to say that Rayo could do with a midfielder that could find the right gaps and play the right passes. Few leagues pit you against such quality central midfields, and so they need a bit of personality in the engine room – especially with Trejo continuing his steady march through the twilight of his career. What system Francisco opts for could put a different spin on this section, but it’s hard to look past a Comesana replacement as a sensible area to focus on.