Barcelona on alert as defender addresses transfer speculation
Oscar Mingueza is having a fine season, and because of this, the former Barcelona defender has started attracting strong interest from clubs across Europe. Because of this, Celta Vigo could have a very tough job on their hands to retain his services for the 2025-26 campaign and beyond.
Clubs in England and Germany have been credited with an interest in Mingueza, who is available on the market for €20m, as that is the value of his release clause. Barcelona will be monitoring the situation as they have 50% of the 25-year-old's rights, meaning that they would pocket half of the transfer fee – or equally, they can sign him for €10m, which could be a good idea given that they are in the market for a new right-back.
Despite all of this speculation, Mingueza is solely focused on Celta. He is keen to have a good final few months of the season, of which he should play a big part for Claudio Giraldez's side.
'I've always said that I'm very happy here. Things have been talked about this winter market, but personally I have been focused on my own thing, on doing my job as best as possible to help the team. I really want to have a good year, to finish this season very well.'
Mingueza also spoke on Celta's 2-1 victory over Leganes on Saturday, during which he scored his third goal of the season – it is also a result that has seen the Galicians move into eight place in the La Liga standings.
'In the second half we didn't have as much control of the game, but we were better defensively. We are on the right track, but we have to take it game by game because there is still a long way to go.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Incoming Barcelona signing ‘will become the best in the world'
Incoming Barcelona signing 'will become the best in the world' Soon-to-be Barcelona star Joan García has this week been tipped to become the very best goalkeeper in world football. This comes a fresh round of praise on the part of one of his former coaches. It is of course common knowledge across Spain at this point that Barcelona have set their sights firmly on Joan's signature. Advertisement Amid an ongoing search for reinforcements between the posts for next season, the Blaugrana have earmarked the Espanyol standout as the ideal profile for present and future alike. So much so that some sources have gone as far as to point towards a transfer announcement as being all but imminent. And one individual in no doubt that Barcelona are set to secure for themselves nothing short of a world-class performer is Jesús Salvador. Salvador spent four years overseeing Joan's development at Espanyol, as a goalkeeper coach. And drawn on the 24-year-old's talents during an appearance on 'La Bruixola del Radioestadio Catalunya' on Onda Cero (as cited by Diario Sport) this week, Salvador gushed: Advertisement 'He goes unnoticed off the field, but he transforms inside. He has a lot of personality, prominence in the air. He is used to conceding many scoring chances and now, if he ends up at Barcelona, he will go through the opposite. He will not have as much work but when he does, he will have to be highly efficient. It involves brutal concentration. That aspect doesn't scare me about Joan. He is ready to increase his performance. 'He will end up being the best in the world,' it was concluded. Conor Laird – GSFN
Washington Post
5 hours ago
- Washington Post
Ahead of his exit, Jonatan Giráldez addresses Spirit's midseason shakeup
Washington Spirit Coach Jonatan Giráldez on Friday called the decision to depart for the French club OL Lyonnes 'the best for both sides,' speaking for the first time about his abrupt midseason exit from the NWSL club. 'I came here with a plan, probably to stay longer, but some things, you know, in soccer things change so quick,' Giráldez said at a news conference. 'And everything together we found that the best option for both sides was going to Lyonnes for the next season, and here [at the Spirit] they can keep continuing to keep building some things and for sure be able to get a lot of trophies. 'Not ending the season is a little bit strange, but I am not the most important person here. The club is going to continue with [another] head coach, with the same players, with the same fan base. So I'm here right now. In one, two months, I'll be out, but life continues. … I wish them for sure all the best.' Giráldez, 33, was named the Spirit's coach last January and officially joined the club in June 2024 after finishing the season with Barcelona, where he spent three years and won back-to-back Champions League trophies. He oversaw the second half of the Spirit's 2024 season, which ended with a loss in the final, and won his lone piece of NWSL silverware in March's Challenge Cup. He will lead Washington for its next three games before assistant Adrián González takes the top job on a permanent basis. González's first match at the helm will be Aug. 3, when the Spirit meet the Portland Thorns at Audi Field. Spirit majority owner Y. Michele Kang owns a controlling interest in Lyonnes, a French power that has won a record eight Champions League titles, through her multi-club organization Kynisca. She also owns England's London City Lionesses. Giráldez said the move came together within the past few weeks, when it became clear that Joe Montemurro would depart Lyonnes after one season in charge to become coach of the Australian national team. 'From the organization, they thought that the first person to lead that [Lyonnes] project, it's me,' Giráldez said. 'I have to say yes to lead that project, for sure. It's not about them, it's about us, all together, as an organization, owner, CEO and then the sporting director, and then the head coach has to decide.' Kynisca's global sporting director is Markel Zubizarreta, who overlapped with Giráldez at Barcelona. Zubizarreta is listed as leading all sporting projects at Lyonnes and London City and 'assisting' the Spirit. Giráldez signed a three-year deal with Lyonnes. Fitness coach Andrés González and analyst Toni Gordo will join him in France. He also said Friday he and his wife, Olaia, are expecting their second child this month. 'I never speak about projects on three, four, five years. You have to speak about today, about the present, about the option that you can grow today and let's see what is going to happen in the future,' Giráldez said. 'We need to be prepared as a professional, we need to be prepared as a family to know that something can change in any moment, and the only thing I can do is be positive on that.' The Post reported this week that the Spirit last offseason turned down requests by multiple NWSL teams to interview González for head coaching jobs. The 35-year-old went 10-4-1 in his interim stint last year. 'He made an amazing job last season doing a smooth transition,' Giráldez said. 'It was so easy for me to have a good adaptation from Day 1 because all the information he could share and express with the players was brilliant. I'm very proud of him.' The club limited questions on the coaching transition to Giráldez's opening statement and four follow-up opportunities before shifting to Sunday's match against the North Carolina Courage. Interim general manager Nathan Minion, who took over after Mark Krikorian stepped down earlier this season, and Sporting Director James Hocken were not made available. González will be the club's fifth permanent head coach since 2021. 'We've gone through a lot of transition. I think we're well positioned for this one because a lot of us have already worked with Adrián,' goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury said Friday. 'We're sad to see Jona go but just very grateful for the time that we had with him, the foundation he's laid, the competitiveness he's brought every day.' The Spirit was the first club Kang purchased as she built Kynisca, which is based in London. In the years since, Lyonnes and London City have earned trophies, unveiled rebrands and announced plans for dedicated training facilities. (Kang has spoken of a potential rebrand and hopes for a Spirit-specific training complex, but the club has not offered updates on those fronts this year.) Forbes reported this week that Kang is targeting a South American club. Washington is fourth in the NWSL standings with a 6-3-1 record. 'I don't think the team now is going to have less chances to win because the same ideas are coming for the future,' Giráldez said. 'So I know that it is a little bit strange in terms of organization because we are moving pieces between clubs. But again, all the decisions made are thinking that's the best for both sides and that's the reason why I'm going to leave the club in a few weeks.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Official: Barcelona duo start for Spain U-21 against Ukraine
With the Under-21 UEFA European Championship set to kick off in under a week, Spain are finalising their preparations for the big tournament with a friendly against Ukraine tonight. And, manager Santi Denia has named two Barcelona youngsters in the Spain U-21 starting lineup for the game at Santo Domingo in Alcorcon. Advertisement Indeed, Pablo Torre and Gerard Martin are both in the starting XI for the Under-21 Spanish national team tonight and will be hoping to cement their places in the lineup ahead of the Euros. Torre has been a regular presence in Denia's squad for Spain U-21 despite his lack of minutes at the club level for Barcelona. With a summer exit likely, the young attacking midfielder will be hoping to showcase his qualities on the international stage. As for Martin, this will be the U-21 Euros first taste of a major international tournament for the left-back and he will be eager to prepare with a strong showing against Ukraine tonight. Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez had initially been named in the Spain squad for the U-21 Euros this summer but was withdrawn after deliberations so that he could get some rest after a heavy workload over the past year.
