Arsenal handed major transfer boost in race to sign Spain international | Football

Celta Vigo boss Claudio Giraldez has given Arsenal hope of signing Oscar Mingueza on a free transfer, admitting it will be ‘difficult’ for the club to keep hold of the defender this summer.

Arsenal bolstered their defensive options with the addition of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie last summer, with the latter’s loan deal set to become permanent at the end of the season.

The Gunners are keen to further strengthen at the back, though, and a shortlist of potential targets is being drawn up in preparation for the possible departure of both Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

White has become a periphery figure in Mikel Arteta’s squad as a result of Jurrien Timber’s outstanding form at right-back, while the prominence of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba means there is little chance of the England international staking a claim at centre-half.

Lewis-Skelly, meanwhile, has been leapfrogged by Riccardo Calafiori in the pecking order and the young left-back-cum-midfielder is reportedly attracting strong interest from Manchester United, just a year on from his extraordinary breakout season at the Emirates.

A report from The Telegraph earlier this month claimed Celta Vigo’s Mingueza had emerged as a possible solution if White were make to his way towards the exit door at Arsenal.

Comfortable at right-back, centre-back and left-back, Mingueza’s profile has been identified as similar to that of White and his versatility stands out as a major plus point for the Gunners.

Mingueza’s current contract with Celta Vigo is due to expire in June and talks over a proposed extension have so far come to nothing, with both Aston Villa and Fulham also credited with an interest.

‘He’s a fantastic player. He has a tremendous personality,’ Celta head coach Giraldez told SPORT when discussing Mingueza’s qualities.

‘I hope he can stay. But we know it will be difficult to keep him. 

‘I hope he can have a great career because he still has a lot of room for improvement. I like him a lot.’

Mingueza, a product of Barcelona’s La Masia academy, has been capped four times by Spain and was a part of Luis de la Fuente’s team that lost to Portugal in last year’s Nations League final.

He also played a key role in Spain’s side that clinched a silver medal at the Summer Olympics in Japan back in 2020.

While Celta are yet to give up hope of coaxing Mingueza into an extension, there is a growing acceptance that the defender will likely be on the move, with contract discussions seemingly at an impasse.

As a youngster, Mingueza had been tipped as a possible first-team star at the Camp Nou, having joined Barca’s academy at the age of just eight.

However, the defender struggled for regular game-time under Xavi, citing a frosty relationship with the manager as a possible reason for his stagnation.

‘When Xavi arrived, we didn’t click well. He must not have liked me or something,’ he explained in an interview with Esport3 in 2024.

‘I didn’t have the best mentality in the world either, and that’s why I left Barca, to try to regain my motivation and to enjoy myself.’

But Mingueza has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with at Celta Vigo, making 140 appearances in all competitions for the club, and there will be no shortage of potential suitors should he become available as a free agent this summer.

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