Gaël Kakuta Finds Stability and Confidence at Rayo Vallecano
By BBC News Staff
After years of bouncing from one loan spell to another, Chelsea winger Gaël Kakuta may finally have found a place to call home — at least temporarily. The 23-year-old Frenchman is currently on his sixth loan move, this time with Spanish side Rayo Vallecano, and early signs suggest he’s relishing the opportunity.
Kakuta, once hailed as a rising star within the Chelsea ranks, has struggled to establish himself at Stamford Bridge since joining the club in 2007. Despite brief stints across Europe — including time in France, the Netherlands, and Italy — consistent playing time and a sense of belonging have remained elusive. But in the vibrant backdrop of La Liga, things appear to be changing.
Speaking candidly about his experience in Madrid so far, Kakuta expressed both relief and satisfaction. “We can say yes, I feel comfortable here,” he told reporters. “From the beginning, everything has gone really well. Everyone at the club welcomed me warmly and made me feel at ease.”
Crucially, Kakuta has also earned the trust of Rayo’s coaching staff, something that has not always been the case in his previous stops. “I was lucky to have the coach’s trust directly,” he noted.
One challenge many foreign players face when moving to Spain is the language barrier. However, Kakuta has handled that transition smoothly, crediting his knowledge of Italian and French for making Spanish more accessible. “I’m not going to say I already speak Spanish very well,” he admitted, “but when it comes to understanding and making myself understood, I have no problem.”
His decision to join Rayo was also influenced by former Lens teammate Mohamed Diamé, now at Hull City, who spent a season at the Madrid-based club. “He told me it went really well for him here and that it opened a lot of doors for him afterwards. So I said to myself: why not?”
Now settled, motivated, and playing in one of Europe’s most competitive leagues, Kakuta is hoping that this latest chapter will serve as a turning point in his career. Whether it becomes a springboard to return to Chelsea or a new beginning elsewhere, his performances in La Liga may finally give him the platform his talent has long promised.
