Unai Emery wants to prioritise a move for his former Villarreal star Alex Baena, as Aston Villa could make a January approach.
According to Fichajes, Alex Baena remains a target for Unai Emery, with the Basque manager set to prioritise a move for the 22-year-old La Liga ace. The attacking midfielder, who also plays on the wings, could become a big target for Aston Villa as their manager seeks to strengthen the squad further.
Unai Emery has established himself at the helm at Aston Villa. His decisions on the pitch have largely been successful, which has elevated the club to new heights in a short span. The Spanish boss wants to strengthen the squad ahead of the January transfer window and has attacking reinforcements on his agenda.
Emery is ready to raid his former side, Villarreal, once again, this time for 22-year-old attacker Alex Baena. Aston Villa are keen to add the Spaniard to their squad ahead of the January transfer window, but there are lots of key decisions ahead before finalising the move.
Baena, for his part, remains open to a new challenge, and the Premier League will certainly carry some appeal in his quest. Xavi Hernandez also likes him for Barcelona. But in the current climate, the Catalans may not be able to afford him, especially when they have other priorities with the little money they have.
Hence, Aston Villa may have a free run, especially due to the presence of Emery, under whom Baena made his mark at La Liga club Villarreal. The 22-year-old played 36 times for the Aston Villa boss at Villarreal, scoring ten goals and making eight assists.
Aston Villa were interested during the summer but had other priorities around that window. They might have entered the race for Baena again following the uncertainty surrounding Nicolo Zaniolo amid the betting allegations. The Italian, who has a similar profile to the Spaniard, faces the prospect of a long ban from football in the coming period.
Hence, Emery might have thought about returning to his old club for yet another player. Villarreal had pointed towards his €60 million release clause during the summer when other clubs showed an interest. Villa are keen but may not want to pay the full fee and will look to negotiate.
Villa did something similar for another Villarreal player in the summer when they signed Pau Torres. The La Liga side may choose to sell their star names if a reasonable offer arrives, something Villa will be alert about.
With the pulling power of Emery in cases like these, Baena might take the next step and agree to sign for Villa if the right offer arrives. For now, he remains a Villarreal player, with the club thinking hard about his future ahead of the next window.
