José Luis García Vayá, known as Pepelu, grew up in Denia on the Costa Blanca and came through Levante’s academy. After loans in Portugal with Tondela and Vitória de Guimarães, he became a regular for Levante.
Valencia signed him in 2023, and he quickly became the organiser of their midfield and vice-captain. He is a composed, intelligent midfielder who sets the tempo and is a reliable penalty-taker.
Career in numbers
Across 8 seasons of senior club football, beginning in 2015/16, Pepelu has played 217 matches and scored 12 goals for 5 clubs. The 2023/24 season, with 8 goals from 39 matches for Valencia, remains his highest tally. His busiest campaign was 2022/23, with 47 appearances. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.