Christian Imga Scouting Report: Athletic’s 1.90m 17-Year-Old Winger Who Debuted for Nico Williams
Christian Imga
Quick Answer
Christian Imga is a right-footed, 1.90m winger born in Zumarraga (Gipuzkoa) on 17 February 2009. On 25 October 2026 he made his La Liga debut for Athletic Club at 17, replacing Nico Williams shortly after the 67th minute of a 4-0 home win over Getafe. His main team is still Bilbao Athletic in Primera Federación, where he debuted in early September and scored on his first start, away at Pontevedra. He came through the Alavés academy before moving to Lezama and has played for Spain at U17 and U18 level. What stands out is unusual height for a winger, an inverted cut inside onto his right foot and a direct, forward-first instinct. Our verdict: a long-term tracking file, not a transfer target. His La Liga sample is one game and roughly twenty minutes.
Player Profile
| Full name | Christian Imga Mitogo |
| Date of birth | 17 February 2009 |
| Age | 17 |
| Place of birth | Zumarraga (Gipuzkoa, Basque Country) |
| Nationality | Spain |
| Height | 1.90 m (Basque press, Wikipedia) |
| Preferred foot | Right |
| Main position | Winger — mostly on the left for Bilbao Athletic, playing inverted |
| Other positions | Right wing; local press notes he can attack the back post in the air |
| Shirt number | 33 on his first-team debut; 22 for Bilbao Athletic (club site). Sources list different numbers |
| Club | Athletic Club — registered with Bilbao Athletic (Primera Federación), alternating with first-team training |
| Contract expiry | ⚠ No verifiable date found; not listed |
| Market value | ⚠ No reliable estimate found; not listed |
| International | Spain U17: 14 caps / 5 goals; Spain U18: 6 caps / 1 goal (Wikipedia, as of 3 October 2026) |
| Route to the club | Deportivo Alavés academy (2022-2025) → Athletic Club academy (2025) → Bilbao Athletic (2026) → first-team debut (25 October 2026) |
Career Path
| Period | Team | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-2025 | Deportivo Alavés (academy) | Developed in Vitoria. One source dates the move to Lezama to January 2025, another to the end of 2024-25 |
| 2025-26 | Athletic Club Juvenil (División de Honor) | 8 goals for the U19 side per Basque press; 2 goals in 6 UEFA Youth League games, mostly off the bench |
| February 2026 | Spain U17 | Scored in the Algarve Tournament final, a 7-0 win over Finland on 18 February |
| September 2026 | Bilbao Athletic (Primera Federación) | Debuted against Real Avilés aged 17 years and six months; a week later scored around the 30th minute of his first start, a 3-1 win at Pontevedra |
| October 2026 | Athletic Club (first team) | Splitting time between first-team training and the reserves since early October; first call-up at Rayo Vallecano (the match was suspended in the 25th minute, he did not play) |
| 25 October 2026 | Athletic Club 4-0 Getafe | La Liga debut: came on for Nico Williams in a double substitution just after the 67th minute |
Season Statistics (2026-27)
| 2026-27 — Athletic Club (La Liga) | |
| Apps / minutes | 1 app / roughly 22-23 minutes (off the bench) |
| Goals / assists | 0 / 0 |
| Game | 25 October, Athletic 4-0 Getafe (San Mamés, matchday 10) |
| 2026-27 — Bilbao Athletic (Primera Federación) | |
| Apps / goals | 4 apps / 1 goal (Wikipedia career table, as of 25 October) |
| First goal | Pontevedra 1-3 Bilbao Athletic (Pasarón), his first start |
| International (cumulative) | |
| Spain U17 | 14 caps / 5 goals |
| Spain U18 | 6 caps / 1 goal |
Data note: Wikipedia’s infobox and career table split Imga’s appearances differently between the first team and Bilbao Athletic; we use the career table’s 4 apps / 1 goal. His shirt number appears as 22, 33 or 20 depending on the source. With such a small sample we deliberately avoided per-90 numbers, and contract expiry and market value are left blank because neither could be verified.
Who is he? From Zumarraga to Vitoria to Lezama
Imga was born in 2009 in Zumarraga, an inland town in Gipuzkoa, and took his first serious football steps at the Deportivo Alavés academy. He switched to Lezama in 2025, with sources split on whether that happened in January or at the end of the season. Eight goals for Athletic’s U19 side and two in six UEFA Youth League outings quickly made him one of the most talked-about names in the academy.
The international track ran alongside. He scored five times in 14 appearances for Spain U17, including a goal in the Algarve Tournament final when Finland were beaten 7-0 on 18 February 2026. He has since collected six U18 caps, one of them as a 58th-minute substitute in a win over Côte d’Ivoire.
September-October 2026: two steps in a fortnight
His autumn moved fast. In early September, aged 17 years and six months, he made his Primera Federación debut for Bilbao Athletic against Real Avilés. A week later he started for the first time and scored in a 3-1 win at Pasarón: a diagonal run in from the flank, a change of pace and a near-post finish.
From the start of October Edin Terzić brought him into first-team training. He was named in the squad for the trip to Rayo Vallecano, but that game was halted after 25 minutes because of incidents in the stands. Two weeks later, on 25 October at San Mamés, he came on with Athletic 2-0 up against Getafe and took over Nico Williams’ flank. Bilbao Athletic striker Txus Vizcay also made his La Liga debut that night.
The Getafe game: what it does and doesn’t tell us
Twenty-odd minutes is not enough to judge anybody. It was a one-sided evening in which Álex Berenguer was involved in all four goals and Getafe finished with ten men after an 86th-minute red card. By the time Imga came on, Athletic were managing the game, so this was no test of a young winger’s nerve in a tight contest. We read the debut as a signal of Terzić’s trust rather than as performance data. Replacing Nico Williams is not a small symbolic gesture either.
Position and role
For Bilbao Athletic Imga mostly plays on the left and cuts inside onto his right foot. That is Nico Williams’ side in the first team, but the profile is different. Nico wins duels with a low centre of gravity and explosive acceleration; Imga relies on long strides, power and directness. If the full-back leaves room he goes outside, if not he drives inside towards goal.
He could also be used on the right, where a more traditional cross-from-the-byline role would be needed, and we have no data on that yet. His height gives Athletic a back-post option in the air, although the Basque press stresses that he is not an aerial specialist.
Playing style: on and off the ball
On the ball the headline trait is verticality. When he receives he looks for the forward option before the sideways pass, and he uses his body and arm to win foot races. The Pontevedra goal is the template: diagonal run inside, change of tempo, first post.
Off the ball he is physically advanced for his age and puts that to work in duels and defensive phases, which matters under a pressing-minded coach like Terzić. The missing piece is consistency. He has yet to complete 90 minutes and his output fluctuates within games.
Competition: a crowded flank
Athletic’s wide options are among the deepest in the league: Nico and Iñaki Williams, Álex Berenguer, Robert Navarro, Álvaro Djaló and Nico Serrano. Starting is not a realistic aim for Imga this season. The realistic plan is regular football for Bilbao Athletic and short first-team spells when workload or injuries open a gap. Nico Williams’ October injury history keeps that door slightly ajar.
Physical file
We found no recorded injuries. The height and frame are clear advantages, but tall teenagers often need careful load management during growth phases. Rotating him between first-team sessions and reserve matches is a sensible way for Lezama to handle that.
Fit for other leagues
This is not a transfer file today. Athletic do not sell 17-year-old Basque prospects at the heart of their player policy. His profile, an inverted winger who goes past people with physical power and attacks the box directly, would suit transition-heavy leagues such as the Turkish Süper Lig, Eredivisie or the Belgian Pro League, but that conversation belongs years down the line.
Status and pathway
As a Spanish citizen he faces no work-permit issues inside the EU. Athletic’s usual pathway is a spell in Primera Federación followed by a Segunda loan, as Peio Canales’ year at Racing showed. That is the most likely next step for Imga too.
Related files
GegenSports also has reports on his Athletic team-mates Robert Navarro, Álvaro Djaló, Maroan Sannadi, Peio Canales and Nico Serrano.
Strengths
- Physical profile — 1.90m, long stride and power: no other winger in Athletic’s squad has this frame.
- Directness — His first instinct is to go forward; outside if the full-back gives room, inside if not.
- Inverted threat — Cuts in from the left onto his right foot to shoot, as his Pontevedra goal showed.
- Rapid rise — Primera Federación debut, first goal and La Liga debut inside roughly six weeks.
- International pedigree — 5 goals in 14 games for Spain U17; also capped at U18.
Areas to Develop and Risks
- Tiny sample — One La Liga game of around twenty minutes; only a handful of senior games overall.
- Consistency — Has not completed a full 90 minutes yet; uneven within matches.
- Aerial game — Despite his height, local press do not see him as an aerial specialist.
- Competition — Nico, Iñaki, Berenguer, Navarro, Djaló and Serrano stand between him and minutes.
- Unclear data — Contract expiry, market value and shirt number are not settled.
Cost Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely shape | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent signing | Athletic’s Basque policy and his age make a sale very unlikely | Not realistic — no transfer scenario today |
| Loan (later) | Athletic often loan young players to Segunda | Long term — the first likely step is a domestic Segunda loan |
| Monitoring | Bilbao Athletic games, first-team minutes, Spain youth sides | Recommended — zero cost, steady data collection |
GegenSports Scouting Scores (/100)
| Technical quality | 64 |
| Tactical understanding | 58 |
| Physical capacity | 76 |
| Decision-making | 58 |
| Defensive contribution | 60 |
| Attacking contribution | 66 |
| Mental resilience | 65 |
| Adaptability | 62 |
| Development potential | 84 |
| Value for money | — |
| Overall | 67 / 100 |
These scores are a GegenSports editorial assessment and are not taken from any external platform. For a 17-year-old the overall figure reflects tracking priority on current evidence, not present level. Value for money is not scored because there is no sale scenario.
Comparable Profiles
| Comparison | Why similar | Key difference |
|---|---|---|
| Nico Williams (Athletic) | Same flank, same club; Imga’s debut came in his place | Nico is a low-centre-of-gravity speed merchant; Imga is long-striding and power-based |
| Álvaro Djaló (Athletic) | Inverted winger who cuts inside | Djaló is quicker and more experienced; Imga taller and more physical |
Sporting Director’s Note
| Why track him | A physical, direct, inverted alternative for Lezama’s wide pipeline; long-term development tracking |
| Squad role | Regular for Bilbao Athletic, short first-team rotation spells and training squad member |
| Main risk | Small sample, consistency, extremely crowded competition on the flanks |
| Main upside | La Liga debut at 17 plus U17-U18 international record; the right loan could add a lot of value within two seasons |
| Scouting verdict | MONITOR (long term). Track full 90-minute games, goals and assists for Bilbao Athletic and any extra first-team minutes during 2026-27. Reopen the file if a Segunda loan comes up next summer. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Christian Imga?
A right-footed, 1.90m winger born in Zumarraga on 17 February 2009. He moved from the Alavés academy to Athletic Club and made his La Liga debut aged 17 on 25 October 2026.
When did he debut in La Liga?
On 25 October 2026 at San Mamés, replacing Nico Williams just after the 67th minute of Athletic’s 4-0 win over Getafe.
What position does he play?
Mainly as an inverted winger on the left; he can also play on the right.
Has he scored for Bilbao Athletic?
Yes, on his first start, a 3-1 away win at Pontevedra.
Has he played for Spain?
Yes: 14 caps and 5 goals for the U17s, 6 caps and 1 goal for the U18s.
Sources and Data Note
This report draws on Basque and Spanish sports media, the club’s official channels and Wikipedia. Tactical analysis and scores are GegenSports’ own scouting work; no text from other scouting sites has been translated or paraphrased.
- Bilbao Hiria — 25 October 2026 Getafe match and Imga’s debut; 28 September 2026 player profile (1.90m, inverted left winger, 8 U19 goals)
- Bilbao Hiria / Radio Nervión — Pontevedra 1-3 Bilbao Athletic, first start and goal
- Kirolak EITB, COPE, La Nación — Athletic 4-0 Getafe result and scorers
- Wikipedia (EN) — date/place of birth, height, Alavés 2022-2025, U17 14/5 and U18 6/1
- Athleticclubinfo — Spain U17 goal in the Algarve Tournament final (18 February 2026)
- Athletic Club official site — Bilbao Athletic squad registration (no. 22)
Last updated: 27 October 2026
