Market opportunities are something FC Barcelona tend to look out for a lot these days. Given their financial constraints, it is not hard to imagine why exactly the Catalans prefer to operate that way. However, certain names that pop up as links to Barcelona are simply unavoidable for them.
Yet, not every link is made to a player who Barcelona would desperately need to bring in. The Catalan giants, especially in the wake of their limitations, have to be very precise with the profiles that they pursue. Keeping that in mind, however, it would be unwise not to take major public statements for granted.
Such a scenario has already occurred in the past with Joao Felix, who is now at Barcelona on rather favorable terms of the Catalan giants. Interestingly, another La Liga star has just recently proclaimed something along the lines of what Felix himself once stated publicly.
As brought forward by the ever-reliable Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Spanish midfielder and Villarreal star Alex Baena has just recently proclaimed his admiration for FC Barcelona and his desire to play for the club:
“I’d love to play for Barça! It’s one of my biggest dreams – it’s the best team in the world.”
Such a huge proclamation, while still being contracted to Villarreal until 2028, is no small occurrence. He even further made it official that he has an active release clause in his contract and what exactly the amount associated with it is:
“The release clause is there and €60 million are needed to sign me.”
In this case, Baena is practically offering himself to Barcelona with these statements. Aged just 22, Baena is one of the most creative and effectively progressive players in the Spanish First Division. In La Liga alone, he has scored 3 goals and provided 12 assists across 30 appearances.
Moreover, being able to do so within a Villarreal side that is clearly not at its best, sitting in 9th place, is even more impressive.
While he is not the defensive pivot that Barcelona wants, nor is he an out-and-out winger, he fits the type of player that can be game-changing for the Spanish giants. This rather interesting development will be quite the watch for those associated with Barcelona as the summer transfer window unfolds.
