Alex Baena has been one of the best players in La Liga over the last 18 months, and because of this, interest has grown in his services. He has regularly been linked with the Premier League, while it has recently been reported that Atletico Madrid consider him to be their top target for this summer’s transfer window.
As such, Villarreal could bracing themselves for makes to be made for Baena at the end of the season. They do not want to lose their star player, although they recognise that they often have to cash in on their most valuable assets when interest comes, like they have done in recent years with the sales of Filip Jorgensen (Chelsea), Pau Torres (Aston Villa) and Nicolas Jackson (also Chelsea).
In Baena’s case, Ruben Uria (via ED) has reported that an offer of €45m would be accepted by Villarreal – this is despite him having a €60m release clause in his contract, which does not expire until 2028.
Villarreal have told Baena that they will allow him to leave if €45m is received, and that is bound to alert many clubs across Europe. Atleti will almost certainly be one of the clubs that tries to reach this amount, although it could be tough given that they are short on funds after last summer’s big spending spree.
The likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle United have also been strongly linked with Baena, and both clubs would have little to no problem in paying this amount, which is bad news for Atletico. It would also be no surprise if there was further interest from the Premier League over the coming months, in the build up to the summer.
There is no doubt that Villarreal will find it tough to keep hold of Baena, who has been embroiled in some controversy this week. However, they will solely focus on the rest of the season for now, during which the 23-year-old playmaker should be able to make a telling contribution.
