Aston Villa is considering signing a teenager, with talks ongoing – €40 million should be sufficient to complete the transaction.
Aston Villa’s interest in Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena poses an issue for Barcelona, who is also interested in the player.
AS covers the player today after he made his debut for the Spanish national team last month, scoring in a 6-0 triumph against Cyprus.
That was a ‘idyllic’ debut for the player, who has been on the rise for the better part of a year and has been linked with a move away from Villarreal this summer.
Barcelona was one of the clubs interested in him, with Mateu Alemany and Joan Laporta seeing him as a player with the Barcelona DNA and hoping to recruit him as a result.
However, due to the club’s financial woes, it was not possible, with Villarreal refusing to contemplate any type of loan arrangement with a buy option.
Barcelona’s objectives with Alemany have not changed, and his impressive start to the season, with a goal and two assists, means he remains a target.
There is now more competition for him, with Aston Villa showing interest in him last summer and continuing to do so.
They are one of several Premier League clubs keeping an eye on him, and it is not impossible that one of them will try to recruit him in the January transfer window.
Any agreement will most likely cost approximately €40 million, with the player having a €60 million release clause in his present contract but Villarreal prepared to negotiate lower that amount. It’s unclear whether Aston Villa would pay such a fee, but they continue to back Unai Emery, and Baena is a player he knows well.
It’s an interesting position to watch, and Villa’s possible competition for his signature is a concern for Barcelona, who simply don’t have the financial resources to compete.
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