Valencia have not been given much credit for their work in the transfer market in recent years, but their star signing from the summer looks as if he will pay dividends early on in his Mestalla career.
Pepelu arrived from city rivals Levante this summer, after Las Granotas failed to win promotion, snappig him up for €5m. That looks as if it could be cheap for Los Che, with Ruben Baraja building his midfield around him.
Operating at the base of midfield, Pepelu has played every minute so far, stepping up and taking a penalty to grab the winner against Las Palmas. As per FBref, Pepelu also ranks second in La Liga for tackles after 12 successful challenges in six matches.
The 25-year-old has been a welcome addition for Baraja, who can place the likes of Javi Guerra and Andre Almeida alongside Pepelu knowing that he will keep things organised. For some time, Los Che have been searching for a player to occupy that role, and while it is early days, they may just have found someone in Pepelu.
Image via Ivan Terron / Afp7
