NSWE to bank £13m as Barrenechea agreement close at Aston Villa
Aston Villa only signed Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus a year ago, but it has not gone to plan.
Barrenechea arrived as Douglas Luiz moved to Turin, but was immediately sent on loan to Valencia as he did not feature in Unai Emery’s plans.
The Argentinian impressed in La Liga, but despite his strong campaign, Aston Villa still do not consider him in their plans for next season.
Several European sides were interested in Barrenechea, and a deal is now imminent to seal his exit from the Villains.
Benfica close to signing Barrenechea
Barrenechea will now depart Villa Park on a permanent deal, without a single Aston Villa appearance to his name.
Jacob Tanswell has now reported that Portuguese giants Benfica are closing in on an agreement to sign Barrenechea for around £13 million.
| Enzo Barrenechea’s 2024/25 La Liga statistics | Total |
| Appearances | 30 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 2 |
The Argentinian is being allowed to leave as Villa are well stocked in midfield, and despite his impressive loan, he has not convinced Emery that he should be given a chance next season.
Valencia were keen on signing him again, but they have now been beaten to his signature by Benfica, with NSWE banking a small profit on the deal.
Villa could regret Barrenechea sale
Benfica have sold several midfielders for huge fees in recent years after they developed in Lisbon, and Barrenechea could be the next high-profile talent on the market.
Enzo Fernandez moved to Chelsea for a British-record fee after just a few months at Benfica, while Joao Neves is thriving at Paris Saint-Germain following his move last summer.
Barrenechea has shown true promise in his time at Valencia and could have been a good long-term option in the Villa midfield.
While a profit now was sought out given their depth, Villa may come to regret this sale if Barrenechea develops well at Benfica and moves again for a huge fee in the future.
The midfielder made 30 La Liga appearances last season and will now move to Liga NOS without being given a single chance in the Premier League.
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