It may be the end of Inigo Pérez’s tenure as Rayo Vallecano’s head coach. An offer to lead another La Liga team is said to have been accepted by the Spanish strategist, who was involved in the departure of James Rodríguez earlier this year.
The source claims that Pérez will finish the current campaign with the Franjirrojos before relocating to Pamplona to assume leadership of Osasuna.
“He will take over as Osasuna’s new head coach for the upcoming campaign. According to the claim, which has caused uproar in Vallecas, the Pamplona club would triple his pay, which is approximately €1.8 million.
The 37-year-old coach, who replaced Míchel Sánchez at Rayo Vallecano in February 2024, has coached two of Colombian football’s biggest legends, James Rodríguez and Radamel Falcao García.
Toward the close of the previous season, he barely gave Falcao any playing time and even left James out of the matchday squads. Pérez acknowledged that he was unable to provide his best effort, but he insisted that he had no problems with the Cucuteño midfielder.
In an attempt to find the continuity he had lacked during his third stay in Spain, James switched to Mexican football at this point. Ironically, James has established himself as a vital member of Club León’s squad and is an essential playmaker in Eduardo Berizzo’s scheme of things.
Pérez will have complete control over his future after his contract with Rayo Vallecano expires in June of this year.
It appears he will be leaving the Spanish capital, even though he still has a few games left to play for a spot in European championships.
“The young coach will be a free agent when he arrives, and his pay will be far more than what he presently makes in the Madrid area. The source claims that the €1.8 million he will receive at Osasuna is almost three times his current salary at Vallecas.
Rayo wanted to give him a contract extension so he could finish the project, but Osasuna’s numbers are greater than what President Raúl Martin Presa could provide.
The Vallecano setup, which just lost to Real Madrid on the road, has been rocked by this news and will need to get back to winning ways against Real Sociedad on Sunday.
According to Carlos Ganga, a journalist for Cadena COPE, Rayo Vallecano is completely unaware of Pérez’s possible departure and says they don’t have any information about it. Negotiations to extend his contract for a few more years are still being pursued with great interest.
The youthful manager, who played for the organization until retiring in 2022, has not confirmed any deal with Osasuna, who is now struggling in the bottom part of the table.
Whether Pérez will actually transfer to Pamplona or extend his contract with Rayo Vallecano, who are now in eighth position in the league with 36 points and only five points outside the Conference League berths, is still up in the air.
