Aston Villa hold key 'advantage' over Tottenham and Newcastle in race to sign leading La Liga playmaker

Aston Villa have emerged as the leading contenders to sign Spanish international Alex Baena in the upcoming January transfer window, according to reports.

The West Midlands side are believed to be in the market for a winger that can help catapult the team back into the Champions League qualification spots after the departure of Moussa Diaby to Saudi Arabia over the summer. Baena recently helped Spain to glory in Euro 2024 and is regarded as one of the best young midfielders in European football after a string of excellent performances for Villarreal in La Liga.

The 23-year-old has registered five assists in 11 La Liga appearances this season, making him the third most creative player in the league behind Barcelona duo Raphinha and Lamine Yamal. His tally of 14 assists last term was also the highest in the entire division ahead of the likes of Nico Williams, Robert Lewandowski and new Manchester City recruits Savinho and Ilkay Gundogan.

Baena is capable of playing as both an attacking midfielder and on either wing and has already racked up 127 appearances for the Yellow Submarine across all competitions while gaining experience in the Champions League and Europa League. Caught Offside reports that Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have all taken a liking to the eight-time Spanish international due to his excellent creativity and ability to dictate proceedings in the middle of the park.

Baena is highly coveted heading into the January window, but former Aston Villa, Tottenham and Everton scout Bryan King believes the Villans are likely to be the frontrunners to get the deal over the line due to the Unai Emery factor. The 53-year-old notably gave Baena his first team breakthrough during his time at the Estadio de la Cerámica and played a crucial role in developing him into one of Europe’s finest creative midfielders.

King explained, via The Spurs Web: “I think he’d find it easy to join Villa and come into a club with a manager that he knows. Baena has worked with Emery. Therefore, I see no reason why Emery wouldn’t push for that transfer, and tell the club that Baena is a great prospect, a good player, and the player that he wants. And as a player who has worked with him, I think he’d be eager to join Villa and continue his career in the West Midlands.”

Aston Villa are ninth in the Premier League table but just one point behind the top four positions. Meanwhile, Villarreal are fourth in La Liga after a fast start which has largely been spearheaded by former Newcastle marksman Ayoze Perez, who is the third top scorer in the division with seven strikes. The Villans, however, are competing in the Champions League as opposed to Villarreal, who missed out on Europe after an eighth place finish last term.