| Manu Vallejo | |
| Full Name: | Manuel Javier Vallejo Galván |
| Birth Date: | 14 February 1997 |
| Birth Place: | Chiclana, Spain |
| Height: | 1.67 m |
| Position: | Winger, forward |
| Currentclub: | Racing Ferrol |
| Youthclubs1: | Sancti-Petri |
| Youthyears2: | 2012–2015 |
| Youthclubs2: | Cádiz |
| Years1: | 2015–2018 |
| Clubs1: | Cádiz B |
| Caps1: | 94 |
| Goals1: | 58 |
| Years2: | 2016–2019 |
| Clubs2: | Cádiz |
| Caps2: | 25 |
| Goals2: | 6 |
| Years3: | 2019–2022 |
| Clubs3: | Valencia |
| Caps3: | 50 |
| Goals3: | 7 |
| Years4: | 2019 |
| Clubs4: | → Cádiz (loan) |
| Caps4: | 9 |
| Goals4: | 2 |
| Years5: | 2022 |
| Clubs5: | → Alavés (loan) |
| Caps5: | 11 |
| Goals5: | 1 |
| Years6: | 2022–2024 |
| Clubs6: | Girona |
| Caps6: | 7 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Years7: | 2023 |
| Clubs7: | → Oviedo (loan) |
| Caps7: | 16 |
| Goals7: | 4 |
| Years8: | 2023–2024 |
| Clubs8: | → Zaragoza (loan) |
| Caps8: | 29 |
| Goals8: | 2 |
| Years9: | 2024– |
| Clubs9: | Racing Ferrol |
| Caps9: | 0 |
| Goals9: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2019 |
| Nationalteam1: | Spain U21 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 3 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 8 June 2024 |
Manuel Javier Vallejo Galván (pronounced as /es/; born 14 February 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as winger or a forward for Racing de Ferrol.
Born in Chiclana de la Frontera, Cádiz, Andalusia, Vallejo finished his formation with Cádiz CF.[1] He made his senior debut with the reserves on 25 January 2015, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2–1 Tercera División away loss against Atlético Sanluqueño CF.
Vallejo scored his first senior goal on 17 May 2015, netting his team's second in a 3–2 loss at CD Mairena. On 18 October, he scored a hat-trick in a 7–1 home routing of CD Roda,[2] and finished the campaign with a career-best 23 goals.
Vallejo made his first team debut on 13 January 2016, playing the last 30 minutes in a 2–0 away loss against Celta de Vigo, for the season's Copa del Rey.[3] He made his Segunda División debut on 28 October of the following year, replacing Salvi in a 0–0 home draw against Rayo Vallecano.[4]
On 24 July 2018, Vallejo renewed his contract until 2021,[5] and extended it to a further year on 22 August, being definitely promoted to the main squad.[6] He scored his first professional goal on 12 September 2018, netting the winner in a 2–1 away defeat of CD Tenerife, for the season's Copa del Rey.[7]
Vallejo scored his first league goal on 27 October 2018, netting the equalizer in a 2–1 away defeat of CD Lugo. On 20 December, he further extended his contract, signing until 2023.[8]
On 7 February 2019, La Liga side Valencia CF reached an agreement with Cádiz to sign Vallejo; the player remained on loan at the Amarillos until June.[9] On 2 September 2019, due to the arrival of Thierry Correia, Vallejo changed his shirt number from 2 to 15. He made his debut in the top tier on 28 September 2019, coming on as a 69th-minute substitute for Maxi Gómez in 1–0 away victory against Athletic Bilbao,[10] and his Champions League debut on 5 November 2019 when he came on as a 59th-minute substitute for Lee Kang-in in a 4–1 home thrashing of French side Lille.[11]
Vallejo scored his first goal in the main category of Spanish football on 21 December 2019, netting a last-minute equalizer in 1–1 away draw against Real Valladolid.[12]
On 31 January 2022, Vallejo was loaned to fellow top-tier side Deportivo Alavés for the remainder of the season.[13]
On 1 September 2022, Vallejo signed a three-year contract with Girona FC also in the top tier.[14]
On 27 January 2023, Vallejo joined Real Oviedo on loan until the end of the second division season.[15] On 23 August, he moved to fellow league team Real Zaragoza also in a temporary deal.[16]
On 20 August 2024, just hours after terminating his contract with Girona, Vallejo joined Racing de Ferrol in the second division.[17]
Vallejo's father, Javi, is also a footballer.[1]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Cádiz | 2015–16 | Segunda División B | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17 | Segunda División | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2017–18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2018–19 | 33 | 8 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 35 | 10 | |||||
| Total | 34 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 10 | |||
| Valencia | 2019–20 | La Liga | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2020–21 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 33 | 6 | |||||
| Total | 40 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 8 | |||
| Career total | 74 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 18 | |||
Spain U21