Manu Fernández (footballer, born 2001)

Manu Fernández
Fernández with Celta C in 2022
Personal information
Full name Manuel Fernández Arroyo
Date of birth (2001-04-23) 23 April 2001
Place of birth Narón, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Cádiz
Youth career
Racing Ferrol
Narón
Racing Ferrol
2016–2019 Celta
2018–2019 → Racing Ferrol (loan)
2019–2020 Alavés
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2022 San Ignacio 29 (1)
2022–2023 Celta C 41 (4)
2023–2025 Celta B 64 (1)
2025–2026 Celta 14 (0)
2026– Cádiz 0 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 27 May 2026

Manuel "Manu" Fernández Arroyo (born 23 April 2001) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Segunda División club Cádiz CF. Mainly a centre-back, he can also play as a midfielder.

Career

Born in Narón, A Coruña, Galicia,[1] Fernández represented Racing de Ferrol and Narón BP before joining the youth categories of RC Celta de Vigo in July 2016.[2]

On 11 August 2018, Fernández returned to Racing on loan, being a member of their Juvenil squad.[3] On 9 August of the following year, he moved to Deportivo Alavés on a three-year contract.[4]

Fernández was promoted to farm team Club San Ignacio ahead of the 2019–20 Tercera División season, but was mainly a backup option. On 17 February 2022, he returned to Celta to play for their C-team in Preferente de Galicia.[5]

After helping the C's in their promotion to Tercera Federación, Fernández first appeared with the reserve team RC Celta Fortuna on 2 September 2023, coming on as a late substitute for Hugo Álvarez in a 1–0 Primera Federación home win over SD Tarazona.[6] He subsequently became a regular starter for the B's, being converted into a centre-back by manager Claudio Giráldez.[7]

On 18 June 2025, Fernández renewed his contract with Celta until 2028, being promoted to the first team in La Liga and reuniting with Giráldez.[8][9] He made his professional debut on 23 August, starting in a 1–1 away draw against RCD Mallorca and becoming the third generation of players from his family to play for the first team.[10]

On 21 August 2026, Fernández signed a three-year contract with Segunda División side Cádiz CF.[11]

Personal life

Fernández comes from a family of footballers also named Manuel: his grandfather Fernández Amado was a midfielder and played for Celta in the 1970s, while his father, known as Manel, was also a midfielder and played one top tier match for Celta in 1993.[12] His younger brother Iker is also a footballer, and plays as a midfielder.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 3 May 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
San Ignacio 2020–21 Segunda División B 10———10
2021–22 Tercera Federación 281———281
Total 291———291
Celta C 2021–22 Tercera Federación 130———130
2022–23 Tercera Federación 284———284
Total 414———414
Celta B 2023–24 Primera Federación 320——2[a]0340
2024–25 Primera Federación 321———321
Total 641———641
Celta 2025–26 La Liga 140203[b]0—190
Career total 15052030201576

References

  1. ↑ "El canterano Manu Fernández, el nuevo diamante de Ferrolterra que el Celta quiere blindar. Español y Valladolid pujan por el de Narón" [Youth player Manu Fernández, the new diamond from Ferrolterra who Celta want to tie up. Espanyol and Valladolid go for the Narón-born] (in Spanish). Mucha Calidad. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  2. ↑ "El ferrolano Manu Fernández, primer refuerzo del Cadete A" [The ferrolano Manu Fernández, first addition of the Cadete A] (in Spanish). Canteira Celeste. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  3. ↑ "El centrocampista Manu Fernández regresa al Racing de Ferrol para jugar cedido en su Juvenil A" [Central midfielder Manu Fernández returns to Racing de Ferrol to play on loan in their Juvenil A] (in Spanish). Canteira Celeste. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  4. ↑ "El centrocampista Manu Fernández disputará su último año en categoría juvenil con el Deportivo Alavés" [Central midfielder Manu Fernández will play his last year in the Juvenil category with Deportivo Alavés] (in Spanish). Canteira Celeste. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  5. ↑ "Manu Fernández regresa al Celta para jugar en el C Gran Peña" [Manu Fernández returns to Celta to play for the C-team Gran Peña] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  6. ↑ "Manu Fernández tuvo sus primeros minutos con el Celta Fortuna" [Manu Fernández had his first minutes with Celta Fortuna] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 3 September 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  7. ↑ "Manu Fernández, talento ferrolano en las filas del Celta Fortuna: «A la larga, mi sueño es jugar en el Racing»" [Manu Fernández, ferrolano talent in the ranks of Celta Fortuna: "In the long run, my dream is to play for Racing"] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  8. ↑ "Manu Fernández continúa con el legado y renueva hasta 2028" [Manu Fernández continues the legacy and renews until 2028] (in Spanish). RC Celta Vigo. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  9. ↑ "Manu Fernández renueva con el Celta hasta el 2028 y hará la pretemporada con el primer equipo" [Manu Fernández renews with Celta until 2028 and will make the pre-season with the first team] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  10. ↑ "Manu, a terceira xeración da familia Fernández que debuta no Celta" [Manu, the third generation of the Fermández family who debuts at Celta] (in Galician). G24.gal. 24 August 2025. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  11. ↑ "Manu Fernández firma hasta 2029" [Manu Fernández signs until 2029] (in Spanish). Cádiz CF. 21 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "A por la tercera generación céltica" [For the third generation céltica] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
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