Villarreal star Alex Baena rejected the chance to triple his salary in the transfer star of January, after a Saudi -Arab side was prepared to activate his release clause of € 60 million, which showed that he is not only concerned with money. However, it seems more and more that Villarreal will have to prepare for life next season without Baena, circling with a number of giants.
In the past, Baena has expressed his affection for Barcelona, amidst tires with the Blaugrana, while former manager Unai Emery has been reuniting with him in Aston Villa for a while. However, the yellow submarine is willing to separate around € 50 million this summer, and one of his most interested vovers is Atletico Madrid, says Diario ALS.
Los Colchoneros regards him this year as one of their priorities for the summer transfer window, but would like to lower the costs of the operation, taking into account the Cristian Romero from Tottenham Hotspur too. Baena has a contract until 2028, so Villarreal is in no hurry to sell.
According to their information, director of Football Carlos Bucero held conversations with Villarreal officials after a recent meeting between their B teams, and explained that they could not reach their asking price of € 50 million. However, they would be willing to include Rodrigo Riquelme in the deal, who struggled minutes this season. Riquelme also has a deal until 2028, and both he and Baena operate from the left.