Aston Villa have a pretty good track record in the transfer market.
Even though Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and Financial Fair Play (FFP) have hit them hard recently, they have still managed to secure and bring in top talents.
Monchi is the transfer guru and he is aided by the genius of Unai Emery in the Aston Villa dugout.
And now, Aston Villa News has an exclusive on their interest in Villarreal winger, Alex Baena.
What we know about Aston Villa’s transfer interest in Alex Baena
The 23-year-old is one of the upcoming stars in Spanish football and transfer expert Graeme Bailey has told us that Emery is a huge fan.
“Alex Baena is a player Emery has liked since his Villarreal days and has been on VIlla’s radar since he arrived,” Bailey told AVN.
“They looked in the summer but other priorities, plus Baena is not a straightforward deal – there is a lot of interest in him.”
Villa should already have Villarreal’s number on speed dial because, not only did they bring Emery from the La Liga club, but they also signed Pau Torres last summer.
Torres has been a huge success at Villa and is one of the first names on the teamsheet, with the possibility that Villa Park could be a ‘real likely destination’ for his former teammate.
“But with Emery, former teammates like Pau Torres, Villa Park would be a real likely destination for Baena,” added Bailey “He is emerging into a top-class player and is a regular for Spain.
“I am told by Spanish sources they expect him to move in the summer of 2025.”
Baena’s stats for Villarreal this season
It wasn’t a surprise that, as soon as Emery left Villarreal, they proceeded to struggle and dropped out of Europe.
But now. under the stewardship of Marcelino, they have found their touch again and are pushing for Champions League football.
The Yellow Submarine are sitting fourth in La Liga, two points behind third-placed Atletico Madrid with a game in hand and three points behind Real Madrid in second.
Baena has played a key role in Villarreal’s rise again and he is flying in all competitions, with WhoScored rating his performances bang on seven.
| Tournament | Apps | Goals | Assists | KeyP | Drb | Cross | SpG | PS% | MotM | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Nations League A Spain | 2(1) | 1 | – | 2.3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 85.7 | 1 | 7.36 |
| LaLiga | 10(1) | 1 | 5 | 3.4 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 75.2 | 1 | 7.08 |
| European Championship Spain | 0(2) | – | – | 0.5 | N/A | N/A | – | 91.7 | – | 6.06 |
| EURO U-21 Spain U21 | 3 | – | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | – |
| Summer Olympics Spain U23 | 3 | 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | – |
| Int. Friendly Spain | 1(1) | – | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | – |
| Total / Average | 24 | 3 | 5 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 79.2 | 2 | 7.00 |
