Rayo Vallecano icon Bebe leaves on free transfer

Rayo Vallecano fans favourite Bebe has left the club on a deadline day free transfer.

The club have been in talks with the veteran forward in recent days as they looked to remove him from a tight salary budget for the 2024/25 season.

In the final hour of the La Liga transfer window, a deal was reached, with the 34-year-old stepping away from Vallecas.

The veteran striker has developed into a folk figure in the south of Madrid, after three spells at Rayo, including a loan stint in their promotion campaign in 2017/18.

He eventually completed a permanent move to Rayo ahead of the 2018/19 season, as the club bounced between the top-flight and second tier, but he stayed with the team.

The club paid tribute to Bebe with the potential for the former Manchester United attacker retiring from football in the coming weeks if he is not offered a new club option before the end of 2025.