José Luis García Vayá

Pepelu, the commonly used name of José Luis García Vayá, is a Spanish midfielder born in Dénia on 11 August 1998. He developed at CD Dénia before joining Levante’s academy, progressing to Atlético Levante and making his senior Levante debut in a Copa del Rey tie against Espanyol in December 2015. A loan to Hércules in 2017–18 provided regular third-tier football, while subsequent spells at Tondela and Vitória Guimarães in Portugal broadened his experience. Pepelu returned to Levante in 2021 and featured prominently during the club’s 2022–23 Segunda División campaign. In July 2023, he moved to Valencia, where he established himself as a central midfielder under Rubén Baraja and scored seven La Liga goals in his first season. He has also represented Spain at several youth levels, and Pepelu’s role at Valencia combines ball distribution, midfield coverage and tempo control.