Aston Villa transfers: Emery plans a January attack on his previous club to replace Coutinho for €35 million.
Unai Emery is reportedly eyeing a move for Villarreal attacker Alex Baena, who the Aston Villa manager knows well from his time at the Spanish club.
The 22-year-old is considered to be one of the best young players in LaLiga and has attracted interest from several European teams.
Aston Villa have recently parted ways with Phillipe Coutinho, who has signed for Qatari club Al Duhail on a season-long loan.
As a result, Emery could look to bring in a new attacking player in January to compensate for the former Liverpool man’s departure. Emery has already signed Pau Torres from Villarreal this summer and he could look to raid his former club once again for Baena. The Spaniard won the Europa League with the LaLiga club in 2021, so Villa fans will hope he can help their team do the same if they can win the race for his signature when the transfer window re-opens. READ MORE: Emery anxious as Chelsea join Arsenal in pursuit of key Aston Villa player; he could solve big Blues issue
Emery is eager for a reunion with Baena.
Emery is ‘seeking’ to bring Baena to Aston Villa when the transfer window reopens in January, according to rumors from Spain (as referenced by The Hard Tackle).
Villarreal signed Baena in 2020. Since then, he has made 73 appearances in all competitions for the Spanish club, scoring 15 goals and providing 14 assists.
Baena is a versatile player who can play as a winger on either flank or as an offensive midfielder, making him a suitable long-term substitute for Coutinho. He may also give challenge for Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey.
As mentioned, his performances in LaLiga have caught the attention of several top clubs. Chelsea considered a move for him last summer, for example. As per the report, Baena has a release clause of €35m (£30m) in his Villarreal contract, so Aston Villa could ‘easily afford him. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if the Midlands club take Emery’s advice and make a concrete move for the attacker in January.
READ MORE :
Aston Villa have agreed to sign Freddie Lawrie in a record-breaking deal.
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa have agreed to purchase Port Vale Vale teenage star Freddie Lawrie.
Following an agreement between the two teams, the center midfielder is about to become the club’s record sale for a schoolboy player.
The Under-15s academy kid has piqued the interest of a number of Premier League clubs due to his outstanding performances at the underage level.
Villa have jumped ahead of other Premier League clubs in the race to sign Lawrie.
Following Michael Mills’ departure to Newcastle last month, Lawrie is expected to become the second player from Port Vale’s academy to earn a big-money move to the Premier League.
Aston Villa’s Under-18 team competes at the highest level, currently sitting third in the U18 Premier League after three games this season.
In the 2020-21 season, the club’s youth setup also won the FA Youth Cup, defeating Liverpool’s youngsters 2-1 in the final.
Unai Emery’s main team includes academy graduates Jacob Ramsey and Tim Iroegbunam.
Cameron Archer, Jack Grealish, Aaron Ramsey, and Carney Chukwuemeka are all Premier League players who have left Aston Villa permanently.
Aston Villa have had a mixed start to the 2023-24 season at the senior level.
Villa have endured huge away defeats at Liverpool and Newcastle, but they currently rank 10th in the table after victories against Everton and Burnley.
From later this month, mery’s team will compete in the Europa Conference League group stage.
They are in Group E with AZ Alkmaar, Legia Warsaw, and Zrinjski.
In other reports, Chelsea has blocked the transfer of a sensation to a Midlands team.
