Manu Fernández (footballer, born 2001)

For the Spanish football goalkeeper with the same name, see Manu Fernández (footballer, born 1986).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Fernández and the second or maternal family name is Arroyo.

Manuel "Manu" Fernández Arroyo (born 23 April 2001) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for La Liga club Celta de Vigo. Mainly a centre-back, he can also play as a midfielder.

Manu Fernández

Fernández with Celta C in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Manuel Fernández Arroyo
Date of birth	(2001-04-23) 23 April 2001 (age 24)
Place of birth	Narón, Spain
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Celta
Number	12
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–	Celta	0	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 24 May 2025

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]

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.^[10] His younger brother Iker is also a footballer, and plays as a midfielder.