Shortly after joining the race of sought-after Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza, Roma have moved ahead of the queue. According to Calciomercato, the Serie A heavyweights are the front-running candidates to sign the former Barcelona academy product.
It’s no secret that Roma are in the market for a new right-back. Zeki Celik and Rick Karsdorp have failed to impress. While the latter lost his starting berth long ago, Ivan Juric’s arrival coincided with the former’s downfall. Meanwhile, summer signing Saud Abdulhamid has experienced a false start to life in Italy.
Therefore, Roma have prioritized the acquisition of an attacking-minded right-back ahead of the January transfer window. Mingueza’s consistency at Estadio de Balaidos has come to Giallorossi’s attention. After making 39 La Liga appearances in 2023/24, including 34 starts, the 25-year-old has continued to shine this season.
He has already tallied two goals and four assists from eight league matches, emerging as one of the most productive defenders in Europe’s top-five leagues. Such outstanding statistics haven’t gone unnoticed, with Roma reportedly contemplating a sizeable winter offer to lure him to the Stadio Olimpico.
However, Mingueza won’t come cheap. Roma may need to allocate up to €20 million to convince Celta to sell one of their most prized assets. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they demand north of that figure, considering Barcelona hold a sell-on clause, meaning they’ll take 50% of any potential transfer fee.
The 25-year-old would be a massive coup for Roma, yet they must address Celik’s future first.
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