In: Carles Perez (Roma), Manu Sanchez (Atletico Madrid), Jonathan Bamba (free, Lille), Carlos Dotor (Real Madrid), Carl Starfelt (Celtic)
Loan returns: Jose Fontan (Go Ahead Eagles), Santi Mina (Al-Shabab), Miguel Baeza (Rio Ave), Sergio Carreira (Villarreal B)
Out: Javi Galan (Atletico Madrid), Oscar Rodriguez (Sevilla), Haris Seferovic (Benfica), Hugo Mallo, Agustin Solari (free, Atlas) y Gabriel Fernandez (Pumas), Denis Suarez (free, Villarreal), Julen Lobete (loan, Andorra), Orbelin Pineda (AEK), Ruben Blanco (Olympique Marseille), Julen Lobete (Andorra, loan)
Summary so far: Celta promise chaos this summer, but Luis Campos is yet to set the carousel in motion, despite reported plans of double-figure signings.
The first one to come in, or rather come back, is Carles Perez. A solid signing, he didn’t quite qualify as a stand-out in the league in general, but he did agitate a lot of games for the Galicians, rebelling against any nonchalant attacking during his loan last season.
Manu Sanchez is also through the door. He won’t race down the line like Javi Galan, nor set the heart racing, but it is worth remembering that is generally a good quality in a defender. Sanchez is young, solid, and can be a good performer for some time – he’s just not Galan.
Carlos Dotor seems like a promising signing at a decent price – he got goals from midfield whenever in action for Real Madrid Castilla, and Benitez has always had a penchant for that kind of player. That said, he might find his opportunities limited while Iago Aspas is on the pitch. Meanwhile Bamba is a very nice pick-up on a free. He has been inconsistent in recent times, but is pacy, moves in behind, and can be useful in front of goal too.
Carl Starfelt has arrived from Celtic, and is a decent pick-up, but at €5m for the 28-year-old, feels like a request rather than a Campos deal. Celta have three decent central defenders in Joseph Aidoo, Unai Nunez and youngster Carlos Dominguez, while Starfelt didn’t always convince in Scotland. Perhaps it’s competition, perhaps Benitez is considering three at the back.
Given Denis Suarez essentially left last summer, only captain Hugo Mallo will be seriously missed. The veteran right-back was starting to turn in questionable performances, and it was time, but in a squad likely to see major turnover, his leadership and longevity in the dressing room will be missed.
It does look as if Gabri Veiga will finally depart the club, with a fee almost agreed with Napoli. Veiga has given his club a season of brilliance, and now will fund a rebuild – nothing more could be asked of him, and while Celta fans might have liked him for a season more, the club have been keen to shop him.
Key Need: Former Real Madrid Rafael Benitez manager is almost the polar opposite of the string of coaches he has succeeded, more conservative, structured and direct in general. His appointment has been popular in Vigo, and he no doubt has the pedigree, but it’s a tricky job.
Celta also have a lot of needs. Fran Beltran and Renato Tapia have been two of their best players in recent seasons, but they do similar things, and both are better with the ball than without it, so it seems unlikely that Benitez would employ them at the same time. The latter is true of Luca de la Torre as well, and Veiga will not be there if President Carlos Mourino has his way. What Benitez does not have is a ball-winner. Someone to close down, hassle, harry and keep the shape in the middle, prioritising defensive organisation. Without that, Benitez may struggle to carry out the plans he has employed throughout his career.
Beneath the Surface: What Benitez will like, is the presence of Jorg Strand Larsen and Goncalo Paciencia. Two sizeable target men, good in the air, and theoretically good foils for Iago Aspas. Delivering that ball to any of the three though might be an issue, unless they go right through the middle. Perez is a good signing, but is a wide player that thinks primarily of cutting and shooting himself. Galan has left, so its Kevin Vazquez, Carreira and Oscar Mingueza are the right-back options, Sanchez the only option on the left. Carreira is more offensive, but as of yet unproven, Mingueza and Sanchez are not known as effective supply lines, even if both can deliver well.
Carlos Carvalhal and Eduardo Coudet could rely on Galan to take care of the left flank in terms of getting to the byline and servicing the forwards. They now have Bamba and Franco Cervi, who has been middling so far, out wide on the left. None of their right-back options are proven, nor is Perez likely to go on the outside, so either a right-back or an alternate left-back would make a great deal more sense out of Larsen and Paciencia.
