West Ham United are again being linked with a swoop for Celta Vigo and Spain defender Oscar Mingueza.
But for all his qualities – the Barcelona graduate is hugely versatile, a fine technician and a decent taker of a free-kick – do not expect Mingueza to be the solution to the Hammers’ set-piece issues.
With 17, West Ham United have conceded the most set-piece goals in the Premier League this season. While Nuno Espirito Santo made fixing this Achilles heel a priority after taking over from Graham Potter in September, doing so has proven to be beyond even one of the finest defensive coaches in the division.
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Premier League table after 32 gameweeks with West Ham's Crysencio Summerville in background
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Despite the excellence of Konstantinos Mavropanos and the impact of Axel Disasi, the Hammers conceded a hat-trick of set-piece goals at home to Liverpool and left John McGinn free at the edge of the box to slam Aston Villa in front before the March international break.
Bringing in Oscar Mingueza with an eye on improving their set-piece record, then, may be the footballing equivalent of splurging on a new 4K TV while the roof is leaking.
Oscar Mingueza would not aid West Ham United’s set-piece issues
Back in 2024, Celta Vigo coach Claudio Giraldez ‘congratulated’ Mingueza on his call up to the Spanish national team in particularly sardonic fashion.
“Your attitude in defensive set pieces is a disgrace,” Giraldez said in a video posted by Celta’s official X account.
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“What is a shame is that [Spain coach] Luis de la Fuente called you up for the national team!”
Oscar Mingueza during Girona Fc V Rc Celta De Vigo - Laliga Ea Sports
Photo By Javier Borrego/Europa Press via Getty Images
Giraldez’s revelation was delivered with a hug and a round of applause but, as they say, all jokes have a kernel of truth. Only three teams in La Liga have conceded more than Celta’s 10 goals from set-piece situations.
In last week’s 3-0 Europa League quarter-final first-leg defeat by Freiburg, Celta failed to deal with a free-kick delivered high into the box. The ball fell to the talismanic presence of Vincenzo Grifo at the edge of the box. He beat Mingueza far too easily with a shimmy, before curling a precise shot into the bottom corner.
Just the most recent example of what Ronald Koeman, at Barcelona, referred to as a lack of ‘focus’.
The 26-year-old has often been labelled a ‘luxury’ defender. One who is a fine source of creativity going forward – 15 goals and assists since the start of the 2024/25 La Liga season – but one who has an unhelpful habit of switching off defensively.
A poor man’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, perhaps.
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Mingueza expected to move to the Premier League soon
“Mingueza’s primary defensive deficit is a tendency toward ‘passive marking.’ He frequently falls into the trap of ‘ball-watching,’ allowing intelligent attackers to exploit his blind side during the flight of a cross,” write Total Football Analysis, labelling him a ‘playmaker in a defender’s jersey’
“For a player of his stature, Mingueza’s aerial win rate remains underwhelming. He lacks the aggressive leap and physical nastiness required to dominate the 18-yard box during defensive dead-ball situations.”
Hammers News can confirm that West Ham looked at signing Mingueza last summer, before spending £19 million on El Hadji Malick Diouf and bringing in free-agent Kyle Walker-Peters.
According to Diario AS, Mingueza is expected to join the Premier League at some point over the coming months. He is yet to sign a contract extension with Celta, meaning the £17 million release clause in his current deal remains.
But with West Ham already struggling in the set-piece department, would Mingueza’s arrival only add fuel to a growing blaze?
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