PREMIER LEAGUE
Mateu Alemany has a transfer list of LaLiga talent for Aston Villa: Baena, Asensio, Ferran...
The executive has set transfer goals for the upcoming season at Villa, including targets from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Villarreal.
Barcelona announced the departure of Mateu Alemany on May 2 2023. In an official statement, the club reported that the director of football will leave his post on June 30. Until then, Alemany has shown “the commitment to lead the summer market plan until the last deal, and to be able to be consulted when the club requires it.”
However, as AS has been made aware, Mateu Alemany will no longer have the last word in making those decisions, nor will he be the person who chooses which players will reinforce Barcelona’s squad next season. Those functions will fall to the duo formed by Deco and Jordi Cruyff.
The role of Mateu Alemany until his final departure is closer to that of an adviser than that of an out-and-out football director. This slight nuance allows him to begin to plan for his arrival at Aston Villa, his new home from July 1. In fact, although his signing for the English club is not yet official, Mateu Alemany has begun to draw the roadmap for the English team for the next summer market, with some interesting names on the paper.
Aston Villa’s plan is to compete with the best in the Premier League
Wesley Edens, owner of Aston Villa and the Milwaukee Bucks and whose fortune exceeds $5.5 billion, has set out a plan to put the badge back on the map. The club already know what it feels like to win the European Cup (1981-82) and, among other titles, they also have seven First Division titles in their trophy cabinet.
The American billionaire wants Aston Villa to compete to be one of the best teams in England and has bet heavily on Mateu Alemany. The Spanish executive will be granted a significant war-chest to take on such an ambitious objective and wants to use his knowledge of Spanish talent to upgrade the squad. Part of his list of candidates to join Aston Villa’s progressive project include three of LaLiga’s most intriguing players.
Which players do Aston Villa want to sign?
Álex Baena, Villarreal
Baena is an old player of Unai Emery’s, since the Basque coach coincided with him at Villarreal earlier this season. In fact, the current Villa manager was responsible for giving him the chance in the first team after his loan spell with Girona last season. The midfielder, who was in the news a few weeks ago due to his off-field confrontation with Fede Valverde, renewed last January until 2028 after a fantastic campaign on the Spanish coast, scoring 10 goals and grabbing six assists.
Marco Asensio, Real Madrid
Marco Asensio, for his part, is negotiating a contract renewal with Real Madrid, although this has not yet materialised. The attacker has had a proposal to extend his contract on the table for months, but he has not yet received the call to finalise the deal. The differences between him and the club are not due to money, but in his role in the team: the striker wants more minutes and more importance. This season he has scored 11 goals and has eight assists.
Ferran Torres, FC Barcelona
As for Ferran Torres, Barcelona paid Manchester City €55 million last season, but his performances haven’t been up to scratch on the whole. This season he has seven goals and two assists in a total of 41 games, which puts him firmly on the transfer list. Barcelona need to sell, so a willing club like Aston Villa could easily strike a deal. In fact, there has already been contact between relevant parties regarding a deal that could be worth around €40 million.
