West Ham United have joined the race to sign Celta Vigo centre-back Oscar Mingueza, according to Estadio Deportivo.
Mingueza was developed at Barcelona’s renowned La Masia academy, joining the club’s youth system in 2007 and spending more than a decade there before stepping up to Barcelona B in 2018.
Able to operate at both right-back and centre-back, the 26-year-old made his senior debut for the Catalans in November 2020, appearing in a 4–0 Champions League victory over Dynamo Kyiv.
Just five days later, he earned his La Liga debut in another 4–0 win, this time against Osasuna, and went on to feature 39 times in his first season with the first team, contributing two goals and three assists.
Opportunities became limited during the 2021/22 campaign, as he failed to secure a regular place under Ronald Koeman and Xavi, starting only nine league matches and two in the Champions League.
After that season, he left the Nou Camp for Celta Vigo and has since become a key figure for the Galician side, with 120 appearances to date, seven goals, and 12 assists.
According to Estadio Deportivo, Mingueza’s contract at the Balaídos will run out at the end of the season, and several clubs across Europe are now looking to poach him on a free transfer.
Among the clubs plotting a swoop for the four-cap Spain international is West Ham, according to the report, which claims the East Londoners have joined the race to sign Mingueza to reinforce Nuno Espirito’s backline.
Versatile defender
However, the Hammers face stern competition for the versatile defender’s signature, as the Spanish outlet claims that Marseille, Atalanta, AC Milan, Como, and Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa and Newcastle United, have also set their sights on him.
West Ham have conceded 38 goals in 19 games this season, the second most of any team in the Premier League, behind bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers with 40.
More worrying is their abysmal clean-sheet record: they have kept only one in 19 matches across all competitions, in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in August, underscoring the need for defensive reinforcement.
While waiting till next summer to sign him for free makes financial sense, the Hammers’ poor run of results means they need as much quality depth as possible in their relegation battle. Therefore, they should consider making an approach to sign Mingueza in January, as Celta could consider offers around his £15m Transfermarkt valuation rather than lose him for free next season.
