According to a recent report from Manchester Evening News, it was mentioned that Manchester City are showing keen interest in Alex Baena from Villareal. It was also stated that the youngster has a release clause of £30 million which could be triggered by the Mancunian giants and their top-flight rivals Liverpool, who are also keeping an eye on him.
Baena’s Run Of Form This Season
Baena earned a breakthrough with Villareal after completing a successful loan spell at Girona last season where he managed to register five goals and six assists helping them in their promotion to La Liga. He has managed to find the back of the net on six occasions over eight appearances for Unai Emery’s side this season across all fronts.
The 21-year-old talent has proved his worth as he’s been consistently performing for his side coming off the bench to average 1.3 shots, 0,8 dribbles and 0.3 key passes per game in the Spanish first division. However, he needs to take care of the ball better after completing only 74.1% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top-flight (stats via Whoscored).
Should Guardiola Bring Him To Manchester City?
Baena can make a few decent runs down the left flank as he tries to cut inside from the wide areas. He has the ability to get past defenders with ease and can position himself in the right places to invite some decent chances in front of the goal. Furthermore, he excels at finishing inside the penalty box and converting the chances created by his teammates.
At the age of 21, he has the potential to become one of the best in Europe and with his current run of form, he has garnered attention from the Premier League giants already. If he continues to produce such impressive displays in the final third it would come as no surprise if Pep Guardiola decides to pursue his signature and activate his release clause.
The Etihad club is known to bring in talented individuals and nurture their growth by sending them on loan spells. Baena could be bought and then loaned back to Villareal in this January transfer window as he would generate a lot of profit over the coming years and could add to Guardiola’s attacking prowess in the foreseeable future.
