Celta's Damián Rodriguez heads to Racing Santander on loan
The promising 20-year-old midfielder joins Segunda División leaders Racing Santander until the end of the season in search of regular playing time.
Young Celta Vigo midfielder Damián Rodriguez has secured a temporary move away from Balaídos, joining Segunda División leaders Racing Santander until the end of the current campaign.
Loan details
Celta officially announced the deal on Wednesday (Three Kings Day), with the 20-year-old Galician talent making the switch after struggling for minutes under Claudio Giráldez this season. The youngster will sport the number 23 shirt for his new club.
The academy graduate has only featured in six matches this term across all competitions:
- 2 appearances in La Liga
- 3 in the Europa League
- 1 in the Copa del Rey (where he managed to get on the scoresheet)
All told, that’s a paltry 377 minutes of action - hardly enough for a player at this crucial stage of development.
Future plans
Despite shipping him out temporarily, Celta clearly see Damián as part of their long-term plans. The midfielder is under contract until 2028, and Giráldez - who promoted him to the first team and remains his biggest supporter at the club - views this loan as an opportunity for growth rather than the beginning of the end.
The Vigo outfit released a statement wishing him “the greatest success in this new chapter of his career” while expressing confidence that he’ll “continue to grow and leave his mark” at El Sardinero.
Player profile
Born in Ponteareas (Pontevedra) on March 17, 2003, Damián has been pure Celta through and through. He’s progressed through every youth rank at the club before making his first-team debut against Sevilla at the Sánchez Pizjuán on his 21st birthday last March.
Since then, he’s racked up 29 appearances for Celta’s senior side alongside 56 for Celta B. His potential hasn’t gone unnoticed at national level either, having recently earned a call-up to Spain’s U-21 squad.
The midfielder will be officially presented as a Racing player tomorrow (January 7) at El Sardinero following the Copa del Rey draw. For a player of his talent, this move to the second-tier pacesetters could be just what the doctor ordered.