Aston Villa are interested in signing Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza in this winter transfer window.
The Villans are competing in the Premier League, Champions League and the FA Cup and require sufficient depth to cope with the gruelling fixture schedule. A couple of additions should help Unai Emery’s side, who are gunning for a top four spot in the Premier League once again.
Aston Villa’s defensive unit has been rocked by injury problems. They were dealt a big blow last week when Pau Torres suffered a metatarsal injury, ruling him out for not least than two months. Moreover, Diego Carlos, who has missed the last couple of games with a knock, is on the radar of Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
As a result, Unai Emery is eyeing for reinforcements in central defence and has identified Celta Vigo’s Oscar Mingueza as a prime target. The Midlands club are reportedly ready to trigger the Spanish defender’s €20million release clause at Celta Vigo.
Aston Villa Sporting Director watches Oscar Mingueza in action
Monchi—Villa’s Sporting Director—was in attendance during Celta Vigo’s recent La Liga away game against Rayo Vallecano. 10-man Celta Vigo lost 2-1 to Rayo Vallecano, with Mingueza playing the full 90 minutes. Monchi’s visit further suggested that Villa are preparing to go for the offensive to bring the Catalan defender to Villa Park.
A product of the famed La Masia academy, Mingueza rose through the ranks and made 66 appearances for Barcelona before joining Celta Vigo on a free transfer in 2022. The 25-yar-old has been a regular fixture for Os Celestes, racking up 82 appearances thus far. A centre-back by trade, the Spaniard can feature as a right-back, left-back and right wing-back, and such versatility perhaps appeals to Emery.
Mingueza would strengthen Villa’s defensive ranks whilst being an upgrade on the error-prone Carlos. With Torres currently injured, the ex-Barcelona man could come in and immediately slot in at the heart of Villa’s backline, or at least, act as a back-up to Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings.
So, Villa’s being ready to pay the 25-year-old’s € 20 million release clause would be brilliant.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
