Rayo Vallecano are holding talks with Fulham over a possible deal to take the centre half back to Spain after he expressed a desire to leave Craven Cottage.

The 25 year-old only moved to London last summer in a £6.7m deal from Villarreal but the cultured defender only made twelve appearances in his first season in England and is keen to play first-team football. The former Barcelona defender has long been admired by Vallecano, who tried to sign the former Spanish under-21 international twice previously without success, and Los Franjirrojos have proposed a loan with an option to buy.

Reports from Madrid suggest that Fulham are only interested in a permanent transfer and that negotiations between the two clubs are underway. Cuenca has struggled for game time due to Fulham’s decision to sign Joachim Andersen in August and Marco Silva’s pairing of the Danish international with Calvin Bassey at the heart of the defence. The Madrid-born centre back’s contract runs until 2028, with Fulham holding a further twelve-month extension option, and Fulham would be looking for a substantial fee to sanction a sale.