Baena in sight: Riquelme, the key for Atlético?
Atlético de Madrid has the talented Álex Baena from Villarreal in its sights as one of its priority targets for next season, along with Cuti Romero. The Colchoneros’ board believes that Baena, a proven and international player, would bring a great leap in quality to the team.
Villarreal values its player at around 50 million euros, and that’s where an interesting piece for Atlético could come into play: Rodrigo Riquelme. The young midfielder, under contract until 2028 and with a market value of 18 million, is liked at Villarreal for his technical quality and verticality.
Although he hasn’t fully exploded this season at Atlético, his youth bodes well for a great future. Including Riquelme in the operation could be the key to lowering Baena’s price and facilitating his arrival at the Metropolitano.
Baena, for his part, has proven his worth at Villarreal, where he has played 28 games with six goals and eight assists. At Atlético, they see him as the ideal player to strengthen the left wing, where there hasn’t been a clear owner this season.
Aware of the difficulty of the operation, Atlético’s managers have already held talks with Villarreal, demonstrating the seriousness of their interest. The possible failure of Villarreal to qualify for the Champions League could be a factor in favor of Atlético in its attempt to secure Baena’s services. The Rojiblancos fans are looking forward to the summer market, trusting that the sports management will finalize this important reinforcement to continue competing at the highest level.
