“The Yellow Submarine” has had several “crisis meetings” this weekend about whether they should jump at the opportunity to make the highest sale in the club’s history or keep Álex Baena, who blossomed last year in collaboration with the Norwegian striker Alexander Sørloth.
There was an offer to buy Álex Baena this summer as well, but the thought of selling both a striker and a left winger in the same window scared the management of Villarreal. – But La Liga, the club that has been struggling for a few years, made a profit last year due to the profit they made from the sale of Alexander Sørloth to Atlético Madrid (and Filip Jørgensen to Chelsea) can imagine getting a positive balance this year as well.
Villarreal bought Sørloth for €10 million from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023 and resold for €32 million.
Álex Baena, who is “homegrown”, according to Transfermarkt, has a value of 50 million euros and several clubs that are knocking on the gates of the Estadio El Madrigal with very tempting offers.
Villarreal have made it clear that they will not be pressured when negotiating for Álex Baena, one of the great gems of their academy. At just 23 years old, the Almería-born striker has become the focal point of the yellow team’s attacking play, amassing five goals and five assists so far this season.
Baena has attracted interest, including Atlético de Madrid, who see him both as a potential successor to Antoine Griezmann and as a partner to Alexander Sørloth.
Villarreal’s management has been firm: Baena should not be sold for less than 50 million euros. This amount would not only set a new sales record for the club, surpassing the 40 million earned from Eric Bailly, Cédric Bakambu and Nicolás Jackson, but also represent a net income since he is a product of their academy.
Unlike previous years, Villarreal is not under financial pressure to make quick sales due to recent transfers of players such as Filip Jørgensen (the Danish goalkeeper was sold to Chelsea for €24 million) and Sørloth. As reported by the newspaper AS, President Fernando Roig is willing to wait for an offer that truly reflects Baena’s value.
In addition, the player has made it clear that he only wants to move to a top-10 global team, a requirement that reinforces the club’s position and further increases his price.
