Aston Villa took on Newcastle United in the Premier League

Aston Villa 'in the driving seat' to sign Villarreal star Álex Baena ahead of Newcastle United

Senior Scouting Consultant AUTHORITY Former Senior Scout for Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, and Aston Villa; Scandinavian and European talent specialist who discovered Erling Haaland. FOCUS Global recruitment networks, player market valuation, and continental talent acquisition. THE AUDIT Bryan utilises Statscore’s Advanced Scouting Telemetry, including Deep-Data Metrics like Market Value Volatility, Continental Transition Adaptability, and Under-the-Radar Tactical Efficiency. He provides elite-level player profiling to reveal the technical reality behind recruitment that mainstream data ignores.

Published on:

01 Nov 2024, 1:40 pm

Bryan King claims Aston Villa are "in the driving seat" to sign Villarreal star Álex Baena ahead of Newcastle United.

The ex-Villa scout believes Unai Emery's pre-existing relationship with the 23-year-old will be the "deciding factor."

According to CaughtOffside (29 October), both Villa and Newcastle want to sign Baena, who is valued at around £54million. The forward is thought to be keen on working with Emery again, with the two having crossed paths previously at Villarreal.

And King - speaking exclusively to Villa News - thinks this is just one factor which could influence the forward's decision.

“Villa will have an advantage in this transfer race,” King said.

“Emery knows the player and the player knows him. I’m sure that will be the deciding factor.

“I’d say that Villa are in the driving seat when it comes to that deal. I think being in the UEFA Champions League helps as well.”

Unai Emery to reuinte with Álex Baena at Aston Villa?

Emery has worked wonders since arriving at Villa Park. However, it isn't just his brilliant management skills which are proving to be an asset for the Villans.

His connections around Europe are also a bonus, with plenty of players likely keen to work under such a decorated manager, especially those who have worked with him before.

That is the case with Baena, and should the Magpies and Villa both make the same financial offer to the creative player, it is difficult to see him refusing the opportunity to reunite with Emery.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery [Credit: Imago]

Therefore, Villa could soon have another exciting attacking player on their hands as they look to continue pushing on in the Premier League and in Europe, with contract talks underway with another key attacker (via The Athletic, 31 October).

In other Aston Villa news, Arsenal have been told to sign one player at the club after what Patrick Vieira noticed.

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Aston Villa

Newcastle United

Unai Emery

Villarreal

Álex Baena