Aston Villa signing completes exit just 60 days after £18.6m arrival

Enzo Barrenechea has been announced as a transfer deadline day signing for Spanish La Liga side Valencia.

The Argentine, who only joined Villa from Juventus on July 1 as part of the Douglas Luiz deal, has completed a season-long loan switch. It’s understood Unai Emery changed his mind several times throughout negotiations as he was unsure if Barrenechea could get regular opportunities by staying.

In the end, the decision was made to allow Valencia to go ahead with the deal and Barrenechea will spend the rest of the campaign in the Spanish top flight. European football won’t be on offer as Valencia finished ninth in La Liga last term but it’s a good opportunity for the defensive midfielder to gain minutes on a consistent basis.

Barrenechea may have been useful for Villa as a rotation option with Champions League fixtures set to make already busy schedule even more hectic. But the progression of the former Juventus man is the priority, with regular game time at a slightly lower level more likely to benefit the player than occasional cameos in claret and blue.

It was a similar case for the other player signed in the Luiz exchange, Samuel Iling Junior. The English winger, who arrived as part of the separate £18.6 million package along with Barrenechea, has headed back to Italy to spend the season on loan at Bologna. He will return to Villa Park during the Champions League campaign, too, as the two clubs have been drawn against each other.