Newcastle, Aston Villa battle it out for Spain Euro 2024 winner as Spanish club demand ‘€65m’
Newcastle United and Aston Villa have both experienced polar opposite starts to the Premier League season with high-flying Villa sat in fourth.
As for Newcastle, Eddie Howe’s side have won just three of their opening nine league games amid a summer where they failed to bring in any significant new additions to the squad.
The most positive news to come out of St James’ Park in recent weeks is the contract renewal of Anthony Gordon, committing his future to Newcastle, but the Magpies are still aiming to strengthen in that department with Gordon having missed games through injury this season. He was absent in their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at the weekend.
According to Caught Offside, Villa and Newcastle have both been monitoring Villareal winger Alex Baena, with the Spanish club looking for north of £50m.
Baena was part of Spain’s European triumph during the summer, with reports also claiming both clubs had scouts watching Baena in recent games against Getafe and Real Valladolid, leaving impressed with the 23-year-old’s performances.
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Baena is said to be open to a move to England, though Villa may have the upper hand with the Spaniard having already worked with boss Unai Emery earlier in his career.
Emery already has a host of attacking options in his side, having found it difficult so far this season to grant both Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran the required game time with the latter surprising many with the impact he has had when coming off the bench this season.
Like Gordon, Duran had interest from clubs in the summer, though he also signed a new deal earlier this season, keeping him at Villa Park until 2030.
The Columbia international has scored important goals this season in both the Premier League and Champions League, with Villa enjoying a flawless start to their European campaign, with the standout moment beating Bayern Munich at home.
Howe and Newcastle will be hoping to get back to playing European football having missed out after Manchester United won the FA Cup last season.
With Duran just 20, while Newcastle’s Alexander Isak also ahead of his prime years at 25, both clubs seem to want to build an attacking force to set them up for years to come.
