Barrenechea flies in as Aston Villa set for swift £1.7m transfer boost
Aston Villa recruited Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus last year, but he could already be set to leave permanently.
Douglas Luiz moved to Juventus last year, and this saw seperate deals for Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior to come the other way.
No one benefitted, with Luiz set to leave Juventus after just one year, while both young players were loaned out by the Villains.
However, Aston Villa could now see a small benefit, with Barrenechea headed for the exit door for a potential profit.
Barrenechea looks set for LaLiga transfer
With Barrenechea not in Unai Emery’s plans despite impressing in a loan spell at Valencia last season, he is now attracting interest from European clubs.
The 24-year-old arrived for a fee of around £6.9 million last year, but he could leave for more despite not making a single Villa appearance.
| Enzo Barrenechea’s 2024/25 La Liga statistics | Total |
| Appearances | 30 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Touches | 56.3 |
| Accurate passes | 39 (87%) |
| Total duels won | 5 (61%) |
A Bola (July 13, back page) have now reported that several European clubs, including Valencia, are interested in a permanent deal for the Argentinian, who is available for £8.6m.
The midfielder flew back to Europe from Buenos Aires on Saturday to resolve his future quickly, and expects to leave.
If a bid of this size is made, Villa will sanction a sale which will also mean they pocket a £1.7m profit from the deal overall.
Barrenechea could have added depth to Villa midfield
Barrenechea was impressive at Valencia last season, and some may consider it a shame that Villa do not consider him part of their plans.
The midfielder made 31 appearances in La Liga, and was a consistent performer in the middle of the park as a number six.
He could have added quality depth to Villa’s midfield roster, and over time, he could develop into a top-class player if he continues at his current performance level.
This could have saved Villa money in the future, but they clearly feel that he may not gain value as a squad player next season, and will take the money now.
The sale may create more space and PSR room for new arrivals, but with Jacob Ramsey and Boubacar Kamara among those linked with an exit, Barrenechea could have been an internal solution in the middle of the park.
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