Mexican Orbelin Pineda joins Celta Vigo from Cruz Azul from La Liga MX

Mexico international Orbelin Pineda has joined Liga Celta Vigo side from Liga MX club Cruz Azul, the clubs announced on Friday.

The move comes after months of rumors about a potential deal, with Celta confirming that Pineda will have a five-year contract until June 2027.

– ESPN + Viewers Guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more
– Futbol Americas on ESPN +: MLS, Liga MX, USMNT, El Tri
– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN + (US only)

Pineda’s career has grown over the past two years for club and country and is expected to bolster Celta’s attack, playing on the wings or in a more interior midfielder role.

?? @ orbelin90 first day at #RCCelta pic.twitter.com/7NMyRtQExl

– RC Celta English (@RCCeltaEN) January 7, 2022

Along with Cruz Azul, he was a key figure who helped them end their title drought thanks to a Liga MX championship during the 2021 Clausura. With the Mexican national team, the 25-year-old recently turned established as a reliable option for manager Gerardo « Tata » Martino through six World Cup qualifiers in 2021.

At Celta he will now be tasked with helping to rejuvenate the Galician squad who have made a very gradual and slow rise from the bottom and into the middle of the Spanish top table this season.

Pineda’s transfer is the first and only move so far out of the winter window for a Mexican talent from La Liga MX to a major European league. La Liga MX has proven to be an island transfer market that can retain national names like Pineda, and in his case the player had to wait until he was a free agent to make the jump to Spain.

Now at Celta, Pineda will play alongside another El Tri teammate, defender Nestor Araujo. Celta coach Eduardo « Chacho » Coudet also spent time in Liga MX through a short stint as manager of Club Tijuana in 2017.