Aston Villa are now reportedly racing to sign Oscar Mingueza alongside Premier League rivals West Ham United as those in the Midlands look to land a La Masia graduate.
The Villans turned on the style against Bournemouth, bouncing back from defeat at Anfield to head into the international break with a convincing victory under their belt. Emiliano Buendia's free-kick was undoubtedly the pick of the four goals that Unai Emery's side scored, as he continued his recent, much-welcomed resurgence.
After a tough start to their campaign, Villa now sit seventh and Emery admitted that his side "are recovering from a bad start", telling reporters: "I am very happy with the win.
"We are recovering from a bad start to the season. The effort physically was huge and to manage the squad with different players, with the effort we needed, we can feel proud after the game.
"This is the level of the players. We are trying to set our standards in everything [we do], every day how we prepare for the game, and the quality of the players is important."
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts
Qualifying for European football, whether it's the Europa League, Europa Conference League or in the best-case scenario, the Champions League, is more important than ever in the Midlands. Those at Villa Park can't afford to miss out and run into more problems with PSR limitations as a result.
Their poor start to the season stemmed from a disappointing summer transfer window and the chaos of potential sales that never arrived. This time next year, they must be in a better position on that front.
Fixing their PSR problem would see Emery's side reach another level entirely and could finally see long-term target Mingueza arrive.
Aston Villa racing to sign Mingueza
According to reports in Spain, as relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are now battling to sign Oscar Mingueza from Celta Vigo alongside the likes of West Ham and Newcastle United. The Villans have been admirers of the La Masia graduate for some time, but have consistently failed to secure his signature.
Capped four times by Spain, the defender has also played twice for the national team of Catalonia, who are not recognised/affiliated with FIFA or UEFA due to their status as one of Spain's regional football federations.
Emery will be hoping that 2026 is finally the year that the right-back arrives, given that he's on course to become a free agent next summer and any transfer complications will suddenly become far easier to navigate.
Former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman once predicted that the Spaniard would have a "great future" and that could yet arrive in the Midlands, where he'd compete for a place with Matty Cash, who is in excellent form.
League stats 25/26 Mingueza Cash
Minutes 670 966
Assists 2 0
Tackles Won 4 10
Ball Recoveries 30 24
When compared, it's clear that Mingueza and Cash have different qualities. Whilst the former is arguably better going forward, the Villa star has been a more well-rounded player so far this season - impressing in and out of possession.
What is clear is that Mingueza's arrival would add vital depth to the right-back role for Emery, even if he's forced to provide backup for Cash.
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