Patxi Salinas Reflects on Álvaro Núñez’s Transfer to Celta

omidbasir- Patxi Salinas, a historic figure associated with both Celta and Athletic, as well as the current national coach and vice president of Leyendas de España, is well-acquainted with Álvaro Núñez, Celta’s latest signing, having managed him during his youth career at Athletic.

Reflecting on that period, Salinas remarked, “I coached him for nearly three years. I was quite surprised by his transfer to Celta, as I had no prior knowledge that they would be acquiring a player, let alone Álvaro. He was with Elche at the time, and I anticipated he would remain there. However, based on his footballing abilities, I was not taken aback.”

He expressed his joy at Núñez’s arrival: “As soon as he signed, I sent him a message, telling him he was heading to a fantastic city. It truly excites me that players from Athletic come to my home, my land, my club, which is Celta. I hope he finds great success here.”

Salinas describes Núñez as a player with particular attributes that align well with Claudio’s system. “He is quite similar to Mingueza in his offensive capabilities and fits perfectly within a three-man defense.”

He further emphasized Núñez’s versatility: “He is a player with significant potential. I believe a four-man defense might not suit him as well because he tends to push forward offensively, which can compromise his defensive responsibilities. In a three-man defense, he can effectively play as either a right or left center-back, or on either flank, similar to Carreira or Mingueza. He is equally comfortable driving the ball down either side, and when he operates on the left, he has a good tendency to cut in. He is a very complete and exceptionally young player. I believe he will offer Claudio many excellent options in any position where the team may have deficiencies. I sincerely wish him luck and success, as he truly deserves it.”