Welcome, Álex Baena!
Our club and Villarreal have reached an agreement for the transfer of the Spanish footballer, who has signed a five-year contract.
Atlético de Madrid and Villarreal have reached an agreement for the transfer of Álex Baena. The 23-year-old midfielder has signed for our club until June 30, 2030.
Born on July 20, 2001 in Roquetas de Mar, Almería, he joined Villarreal’s academy in 2011 and made his first team debut on July 13, 2020 in a league match against Real Sociedad.
The 23-year-old has great dribbling ability, shooting and vision, and throughout his career has played in every possible position in midfield, especially as a left winger, although he is naturally right-footed. He also has excellent passing ability, which last season made him LaLiga's top assist provider with 14.
Baena won the UEFA Europa League in 2021 with Villarreal. He spent the following season on loan at Girona, where he was a key player in the Catalan side's promotion to the top flight of Spanish football, playing 45 matches.
The midfielder has played for all of Spain’s youth sides and made his debut with the senior team on Sep. 12, 2023 against Cyprus. It was a dream debut, as he scored with his first touch of the ball just two minutes after entering the pitch. Last summer, he won UEFA EURO 2024 and the Olympic gold medal at the Paris Olympics. In the latter competition, he shared the midfield with Pablo Barrios, who will be his teammate at Atleti.
Baena passed his medical at the Hospital Universitario Madrid Arturo Soria’s Centro de Medicina Deportiva de Alto Rendimiento Vithas - Invictum, before heading to the club's offices at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. There he was welcomed by our CEO, Miguel Ángel Gil, with whom he signed his contract with our club.
Welcome, Álex!
