Villarreal boss hints at possible departure for Aston Villa target – 'It could still be finalised'

It has been a wonderful second half of the season for Villarreal, which has been led by two players in particular: Alexander Sorloth, who is just one goal behind Artem Dovbyk in the Pichichi Trophy race, and Alex Baena, who leads the League in assists (13).

In the case of Baena, he has been heavily linked with a possible departure in the summer, with Aston Villa being one of the clubs showing interest. Unai Emery would like a reunion with the 22-year-old, although Villarreal have no intention of letting him go, as revealed by president Fernando Roig during an interview with AS Diary.

“Baena is a player for Villarreal in the coming years, we bet a lot on him. I think that in the coming seasons, he will always grow and be a better player. He is a great player. We are not talking about hypotheses or the future – now, we are not in it. The important thing is that he is a player who has grown a lot in Villarreal, and my intention is that he continues to grow there.

“I don't like to talk about hypotheses. Even I always say that there are three parties, and that if all three parties agree, it can always be closed. But now it is not a problem on which we are working.”

Baena has a release clause of 60 million euros in his Villarreal contract, although judged by the comments of Roig, can be available for a reduced price, as long as it suits all parties. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop over the summer.