Spanish outlet Sport has revealed that Liverpool are among the clubs interested in signing Villarreal forward Alex Baena.
The source has reported that Baena has been attracting interest from English clubs. Rivals Manchester City are also said to be vying for the player’s signature because of his impressive displays this season.
Baena is currently valued at £30.5 million because of a release clause in his deal with the Yellow Submarine. They are trying to tie down the attacker down to an improved contract to ward off any potential suitors.
The Spanish talent spent the last season on loan at Girona (part of the Manchester City football group) and helped them achieve promotion to the Spanish top tier, securing City’s interest in him as well.
Apart from Liverpool and City, Arsenal and Chelsea are also keeping a close watch on the Spain U21 international, according to the report.
Our View
The 21-year-old has been mighty impressive under Unai Emery this season. He has scored six goals from 10 appearances across all competitions for Villarreal this term. However, what is even more impressive is that despite featuring 10 times, he has only managed to secure 368 minutes on the pitch. This effectively translates him to averaging a goal every 61 minutes.
Liverpool need depth in their attack and the Reds have failed to procure a suitable replacement for Sadio Mane. The Senegalese was an integral part of the Merseyside outfit’s attack and his absence is evident. Jurgen Klopp’s side have struggled in front of the goal this season. Therefore, it is imperative that Klopp adds another attacker to his ranks to increase depth and competition in his ranks.
Baena is versatile in the aspect that he can play almost anywhere on the frontline while also dropping to the midfield, should the need arise. Klopp currently only has Fabio Carvalho who can feature both in the midfield as well as in the attack depending on the team’s requirement.
Baena would be a good addition and he could slot into the former Borussia Dortmund boss’ high-press system. And, to get the talented Spaniard’s signature for only £30.5 million would be a bargain transfer.
However, there will be stiff competition for his signature with Arsenal among the teams also showing an interest. Mikel Arteta is also in the market for attacking reinforcements and it looks like the Arsenal boss is ready to do battle with Liverpool over his signature.
