When Óscar Mingueza moved to Crystal Palace in the summer transfer window, it was perceived as something of a coup.
The defender had impressed in Spain with Celta Vigo since moving from Barcelona on a free transfer in 2022. Securing him on a free transfer looked like a smart piece of business.
Celta’s efforts to keep hold of him certainly indicated how good a player that he was. Or at least, how well he had done with the Spanish club. They did everything to keep the 27-year-old but couldn’t keep him away from Selhurst Park.
The belief was that the defender could quickly establish himself as a key player in London. The departures of Maxence Lacroix and then Daniel Munoz only further encouraged such a belief.
Mystery
Instead, now Sport are reporting on a ‘Mingueza Mystery’. Questions are being asked about whether he made the right choice joining Crystal Palace.
“The project is ambitious, and the style of play really resonates with me. Once I heard from the manager and the sporting director, there was nothing left to think about,” he said at the time.
Three months later, that has changed. The newspaper says, ‘the reality has proven somewhat more complicated than he likely anticipated’.
The former Celta man has barely featured in the Premier League and is yet to find a place for himself in Pierre Sage’s plans. At best, he is enjoying a rotational role under the Frenchman.
Lack of minutes
So far, the defender has managed just 16 minutes across two Premier League games. His last appearance was against Fulham on September 5th. He’s not added a single minute in the league since then.
His prospects have been better in Europe and the League Cup, but there has been a distinct lack of consistency. That’s largely been due to Anan Khalaili, who has made the right-back spot his own.
There has also been the broader context of Crystal Palace’s season so far. They currently sit 17th in the table with seven points. Pressure is growing on Sage. The hope is that the need for change ‘could open a door for Mingueza’.
But in reality, his time at Crystal Palace so far has been far from what most expected. And it’s leading to questions in Spain about what’s going on, and whether he made the right choice this summer.
