According to confirmation from their official website, Spanish side Real Valladolid have signed youngster Oriol Rey from Leeds United.
Rey, who joined the Whites from Barcelona’s La Masia academy as one of the first wave of imports from big continental clubs, arriving at Elland Road in late July 2017.
He featured for the Under-23s in his first season at the club and, in fairness, seemed to be well thought of in the displays that he turned in. However, last year was spent out on loan to UD Conquense, who play Spanish 2º División B. This season-long loan gave him regular exposure to first-team football, exposure that he wouldn’t be guaranteed of at Elland Road.
That exposure seems to have been beneficial to the former Barcelona youngster, Rey being snapped up by LaLiga side Real Valladolid – as confirmed below.
✍🏻💜 El Promesas incorpora para las tres próximas temporadas al centrocampista Oriol Rey, procedente del Leeds United FC
👉🏻 https://t.co/qFjVvmArGD
#pucela #RealValladolid pic.twitter.com/lcK9AS0qHJ— Real Valladolid C.F. (@realvalladolid) July 18, 2019
The 21-year-old central midfielder, who featured in eight games for Barcelona’s Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League, joins a Valladolid outfit who finished 16th in LaLiga last season. Rey is likely to play for Valladolid’s B side who play at the same level as Conquense for whom he featured extensively last season.
Upon leaving United with a year left to run of his current deal, the rated Spanish youngster has returned to his native Spain and signed a three-year deal with Valladolid. It will be a deal where he will hope to kick-on towards the first-team at the Spanish club.
His departure continues the mini-exodus of players leeching from Carlos Corberan’s Under-23 side. Youngster Sam Dalby recently left for Premier League Watford, whilst fellow Spanish youngsters Alex Machuca and Hugo Diaz have also left the young Whites for pastures new.
