Celta Vigo enter 2026/27 trying to sustain the progress made under Claudio Giráldez rather than simply enjoy one successful season. Celta qualified for the Europa League for a second consecutive campaign after also reaching the quarter-finals of the competition last season.
That achievement raises the standard required from the squad: Giráldez now needs reliable rotation options for La Liga, Europe and the Copa del Rey. The summer brought significant change. Óscar Mingueza, Joseph Aidoo, Fer López, Franco Cervi and Mihailo Ristić were among the senior departures.
Celta responded by adding Aleix Febas, Javi Galán, Abdoulaye Faye, Altay Bayındır and Couhaib Driouech, while Yoel Lago has formally stepped into the first-team squad. A late agreement for Sebastián Cáceres should further strengthen central defence once all formalities are completed.
The result is a squad that remains very recognisable stylistically: flexible defenders, technically secure midfielders and several interchangeable forwards. The main question is whether Celta have enough proven quality to maintain that identity when Giráldez rotates heavily.
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Celta Vigo’s 2026/27 Squad at a Glance
Celta’s main senior options include:
Goalkeepers: Andrei Radu, Altay Bayındır, Iván Villar
Centre-backs: Carl Starfelt, Marcos Alonso, Abdoulaye Faye, Javi Rodríguez, Yoel Lago, with Sebastián Cáceres set to strengthen the group
Wing-back/full-back options: Sergio Carreira, Álvaro Núñez, Javi Rueda, Javi Galán, Hugo Álvarez
Central midfield: Ilaix Moriba, Aleix Febas, Miguel Román
Advanced midfield/forward options: Iago Aspas, Williot Swedberg, Hugo Álvarez, Hugo González, Couhaib Driouech, Jones El-Abdellaoui
Centre-forward options: Borja Iglesias, Ferran Jutglà, Pablo Durán, with Hugo González capable of operating centrally
Giráldez has continued using his familiar 3-4-3 structure early in the season, although the versatility within the squad allows several players to move between lines.
Goalkeeper Depth
Andrei Radu remains the established option after an excellent 2025/26 season. Celta have strengthened behind him by bringing in Altay Bayındır on loan from Manchester United with an option to buy. Bayındır has international and European experience and represents genuine competition rather than simply an emergency reserve.
Iván Villar provides another senior goalkeeper. That gives Giráldez three experienced options, which is useful during a season involving European football. There may still be a clear first-choice hierarchy, but this is not a position where one injury should dramatically weaken the team.
Depth Assessment: Strong
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Defensive Depth
Central defence underwent substantial change during the summer. Mingueza and Aidoo left, removing two experienced options, while other defenders from last season’s wider group are also no longer central to the first-team picture.
Faye has arrived on loan from Bayer Leverkusen and gives Celta a younger, physically imposing centre-back who is comfortable in possession. Starfelt remains an important senior presence, while Marcos Alonso continues to offer both experience and left-footed progression.
Javi Rodríguez has become increasingly important in Giráldez’s back three, and Yoel Lago’s promotion to permanent first-team status reflects how much trust the coaching staff now place in the academy graduate.
The late move for Cáceres is particularly useful. Once available, he adds an experienced natural centre-back who has played more than 200 senior matches and should reduce the need to rely excessively on younger defenders.
That matters because Celta regularly use three centre-backs. A squad playing with a back three requires more specialist depth than a team normally selecting only two.
Depth Assessment: Strong once Cáceres is fully integrated
Wing-Back Depth Fits Giráldez’s System
This is one of Celta’s better-balanced areas. Javi Galán has returned to Vigo and immediately gives Giráldez a proven left-sided player capable of providing width, carrying possession and delivering crosses.
Sergio Carreira can operate on either side, while Álvaro Núñez and Javi Rueda provide natural right-sided options. Hugo Álvarez gives the system another dimension because he can operate as a wing-back or move into a more attacking role.
That flexibility is particularly valuable in Giráldez’s 3-4-3. Celta do not need every wing-back to have the same qualities. Galán can provide aggressive overlapping runs, while other options can offer greater defensive security or move inside during possession.
Depth Assessment: Strong
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Central Midfield Is More Vulnerable
Midfield is where the squad looks less deep. Aleix Febas was an important summer addition because of his ability to organise possession and resist pressure. He should complement Ilaix Moriba, whose physicality and ball carrying provide a different profile.
Miguel Román has also been trusted with significant early-season minutes and continues Celta’s willingness to develop academy players at first-team level. The problem is that the senior group is relatively small.
Febas is currently injured, immediately reducing Giráldez’s options. Moriba and Román can form a functional partnership, but another absence would force greater reliance on younger players or require someone from another position to move centrally. Celta have quality here, but less protection against simultaneous injuries than they possess in defence or attack.
Depth Assessment: Adequate
Attack Has Numbers and Tactical Variety
Celta’s forward depth is much healthier. Borja Iglesias remains the most natural penalty-box striker, although his current soleus injury means he cannot contribute immediately. Ferran Jutglà provides a more mobile alternative and scored 11 goals across all competitions last season. Pablo Durán can also lead the line or move into wider spaces.
Iago Aspas remains the most important creative attacker, although his role increasingly needs to be managed rather than assuming he will start every match. Even at this stage of his career, his understanding of space and ability to create from between the lines remain difficult to replicate.
Swedberg provides movement and goal threat from advanced midfield positions. Driouech gives Celta another natural wide forward with pace and one-versus-one ability, while Hugo González has earned permanent first-team status after an excellent preseason and strong performances for Celta Fortuna.
Jones El-Abdellaoui and Hugo Álvarez provide additional flexibility. The advantage is that Giráldez can rotate the front three without using three players who all want to perform the same role.
Depth Assessment: Strong
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What Happens When Celta Cannot Use Their Strongest XI?
This is the most important test of the squad. Goalkeeper and wing-back are well covered. Central defence should also become considerably stronger once Cáceres is available because Giráldez will have enough centre-backs to rotate through European weeks.
Attack contains enough alternatives to manage one injury. Borja Iglesias is currently unavailable, yet Celta can still use Jutglà, Durán or Hugo González centrally. Midfield is the area where the quality drop could become more noticeable.
Febas’ current absence leaves fewer established combinations, and another midfield injury would require Giráldez to improvise. That makes the squad slightly unbalanced: there are plenty of players capable of filling attacking roles, but considerably fewer natural central midfield combinations.
Iago Aspas Remains Difficult to Replace
Celta have successfully developed younger attacking players, but Aspas remains unique within the squad. The issue is not simply replacing his position.
Swedberg, Hugo González or another forward can occupy the same area of the pitch. Replacing Aspas’ decision-making, movement and understanding of when to accelerate or slow an attack is much more difficult. At 39 during this season, managing his workload will be essential.
One of Celta’s biggest challenges is therefore gradually distributing greater creative responsibility among Swedberg, Driouech, Hugo Álvarez and the younger forwards rather than expecting Aspas to solve every difficult match.
Europa League Football Makes Rotation Essential
Celta’s first Europa League match is away to Omonia Nicosia on September 16. That begins another period of Thursday-Sunday football, with eight league-phase matches adding considerably to the domestic schedule.
Last season’s run to the Europa League quarter-finals showed Celta can compete effectively in Europe, but it also demonstrated why Giráldez needs more than 11 reliable players. Defence and attack look capable of supporting regular rotation.
The midfield will require more careful management, especially while Febas is unavailable. Academy players will also remain important. Celta’s model is not based on carrying a huge senior squad; it depends on Giráldez being willing to trust players developed through A Madroa when opportunities appear.
Overall Squad Depth Assessment
Overall Assessment: Good Depth With a Midfield Weakness
Celta have built a squad suited to Giráldez’s football. The goalkeeper position is secure, wing-back depth fits the 3-4-3 structure, and the central defensive group has been strengthened after significant departures. Attack offers plenty of tactical variety, particularly following Driouech’s arrival and Hugo González’s promotion.
Central midfield is the clearest concern. Febas, Moriba and Román provide quality, but the number of established natural options is smaller than in other departments. That weakness becomes more significant because Celta are again competing in Europe.
Conclusion
Celta Vigo’s 2026/27 squad is deeper in the areas that matter most to Claudio Giráldez’s system. Javi Galán improves the left flank, Abdoulaye Faye and Sebastián Cáceres strengthen a reshaped defence, while Altay Bayındır gives Celta greater goalkeeper competition. Couhaib Driouech and Hugo González also increase the attacking options.
The strongest feature is versatility: Giráldez can rotate defenders, wing-backs and forwards without completely changing how Celta play. The main weakness is central midfield, where injuries can reduce the number of credible combinations quickly.
For a club balancing La Liga and another Europa League campaign, the squad looks competitive. Whether it is deep enough for another long European run may depend largely on keeping the midfield healthy and continuing to get meaningful contributions from Celta’s young players.