Former Everton Scout Provides Update On £20M Target: Does He Actually Fix What David Moyes Need This Summer? | OneFootball

Everton have not dismissed the idea of signing Celta Vigo right-back Óscar Mingueza in the summer transfer window, though people around the club are far from convinced the interest runs deep. The link emerged through Football Insider, where former Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness spoke exclusively on the Inside Track podcast, and his verdict was measured, to say the least.

Everton Eye Mingueza But Ex-Chief Says Deal Is ‘More Speculation’ Than Reality

Wyness acknowledged that Mingueza sits somewhere on David Moyes‘ radar as the Toffees search for a dedicated right-back, a position that has left the Scottish manager short throughout the 2025-26 campaign. Jake O’Brien has spent much of the season playing out of position at right-back, with Nathan Patterson falling firmly out of favour under Moyes.

Wyness pointed to two complications that make any deal awkward. Barcelona retain the right to 50% of any future sale, meaning Celta Vigo would pocket very little from a transfer, and Mingueza carries a release clause of approximately £20 million. Wyness concluded by telling Football Insider that whilst Mingueza is certainly being considered, he is background noise rather than a firm target, and that Moyes is searching for a profile with greater experience rather than a younger option.

“I know that we’d like to have a bit of youth in there somewhere. But I think Moyes is looking for a little bit more experience, and so it’s one that I would say is more speculation at the moment, but I know that he’s certainly being considered.”

Does Mingueza Actually Fix What Everton Need This Summer?

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 09: Oscar Mingueza of Celta Vigo warms up ahead of the pre-season friendly match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Celta Vigo at Molineux on August 09, 2025 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Jack Thomas/Getty Images)

Mingueza, who turned 26, holds four senior caps for Spain and sees his contract at Celta expire in June 2026, which hands Everton something to work with in theory; a player potentially available for well below market value if no extension materialises. This season, he has contributed one goal and three assists across 1,427 minutes in La Liga, operating in a Celta side that sits sixth in the table and reached the Europa League stage.

He passes cleanly, reads his defensive shape well, and the Barcelona academy years left him with a technical foundation that most right-backs at his price point simply do not have. The worry, though, is real. Mingueza wins zero per cent of his aerial duels this season, ranking 435th in that category and that’s a worrying return for a player who would face physically aggressive Premier League wingers every week. Moyes has publicly admitted that Everton have been actively looking for a right-back for over a year, and that timeline makes clear Everton are not shopping for whoever is available. They want a specific type.

Wyness’ instinct that Moyes wants experience over youth sits squarely with that thinking. Honestly, Mingueza feels like a convenient name rather than a conviction target. His contract situation makes him attractive on paper, but the Barcelona sell-on clause, his aerial weakness, and Moyes’ stated preference for a seasoned operator all point toward this going nowhere. Everton will almost certainly go after a more established name, and Mingueza will attract interest from clubs lower down the Premier League or across Europe’s second-tier competitions instead.