Oscar Mingueza opens door to move as Newcastle battle for bargain transfer - Sky Sports

Newcastle United has been keeping tabs on Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza since last year.

The Magpies were reportedly weighing up a move for centre-back Oscar Mingueza in the January transfer window when Eddie Howe was hit with a mini injury crisis that affected his defensive options.

Newcastle ultimately kept their proverbial hands in their pockets in January, however, but it seems that Mingueza is still a person of interest.

Eddie Howe wants extra cover at centre-back, and with Mingueza becoming a free agent in the summer, he could be high on the list of targets for Newcastle as they look to rebuild the squad on a budget.

Oscar Mingueza wants Premier League switch

The 27-year-old is also being tracked by Aston Villa, as reported by Sky Sports, and the Premier League duo have been given encouragement by the fact that it's believed Mingueza is eyeing a move to the Premier League.

The Spaniard played 47 games for Celta Vigo last season, playing across the whole back line, and even chipped in with a goal and six assists.

Migueza is a centre-back but can also play as a full-back on either side, which makes him an ideal signing for Newcastle, given they need to replace Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth, and are also looking for a centre-back for extra cover.

Oscar Mingueza would be an ideal signing

A free agent with such versatility would be an ideal signing for Newcastle this summer, although Aston Villa's interest will certainly complicate matters with Unai Emery's side able to offer Champions League football next season.

In fact, we suspect the Spanish connection with Emery could also play a huge part in negotiations if they enter the race along with Newcastle.

Oscar Mingueza looks like a quality signing if we can pull it off, especially as it allows us to hang on to a big chunk of our summer budget for other targets, but we're not confident we can pull this one off.

Rumour Rating: 7/10 - There's a strong possibility that we are interested, and if we beat Aston Villa to talks, we'll stand a chance, but if Emery enters the chat, our chances of signing him drop significantly.