Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing 22-year-old Villarreal forward Alex Baena, with Unai Emery eyeing a reunion.
A report from Fichajes claims that Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is looking to sign 22-year-old Spanish winger Alex Baena from former club Villarreal.
Emery has worked with the 22-year-old during his time at Villareal, and he knows all about the player. The Spaniard reportedly has a €35 million release clause in his contract, and Aston Villa can certainly afford to pay up.
They have recently sanctioned the departure of Philippe Coutinho, and it remains to be seen whether they decide to make a move for Baena during the January transfer window. The 22-year-old had an impressive 2022/23 campaign, scoring 12 goals across all competitions and picking up six assists along the way.
He has had an impressive start to the current season as well scoring once and picking up two assists thus far. The Spaniard will be tempted to move to the Premier League, and the opportunity to reunite with Emery could prove to be an attractive proposition for him.
The West Midlands club have shown tremendous improvement under Emery, and they managed to secure European qualification. They will hope to push for Champions League qualification this season. And someone like Alex Baena could make a big difference in the second half of the campaign.
He is versatile enough to operate as a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and a winger. He could be a quality utility man for Aston Villa in the coming seasons. Meanwhile, Baena also attracted interest from Barcelona this past summer.
Furthermore, the 22-year-old is still quite young and is likely to improve with coaching and experience. He could develop into a top-class playmaker for Aston Villa in the coming seasons if he manages to fulfil his potential. The reported €35 million potential fee could look like a bargain in the near future.
Villarreal will not want to lose a quality prospect like him in the coming months. But they will be powerless to stop him from leaving if his release clause is triggered. Aston Villa were quite ambitious during the summer transfer window, and it remains to be seen whether they decide to initiate a move for the Spaniard in the coming months.
