Manchester United are reportedly lining up a €50m (£43m) offer for Villarreal attacker Alex Baena.
The 23-year-old has been in impressive form for the Yellow Submarine during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring six goals and registering eight assists in 28 appearances in all competitions.
In total, Baena has made 143 appearances for Villarreal, scoring 25 times and registering 38 assists in the process, while he has been capped on nine occasions by Spain, scoring twice.
Towards the end of last week, it was reported that Man United were interested in Baena, with the 20-time English champions being alerted by his performances during the 2024-25 season.
According to Fichajes, Man United are now lining up a €50m (£43m) offer for the Spaniard, with the Red Devils looking to beat Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich to his signature during this summer's transfer window.
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Man United 'lining up' £43m bid for Baena
The report claims that Baena's versatility has made him a very attractive proposition for Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim, and he is viewed as the ideal player to operate as one of the number 10s.
Baena has largely operated off the left for Villarreal this term, but he is not a wide player, and his skill set could fit perfectly into Amorim's 3-4-3 system, as he is capable of providing goals and assists from the number 10 position.
Atletico are believed to be at the head of the queue for Baena, with discussions thought to have been ongoing for months, but Man United's interest could lead to them securing his signature during the summer market.
Only Ayoze Perez (17) and Thierno Barry (10) have scored more times for Villarreal this season than Baena, who is widely expected to be in the Spain squad for the 2026 World Cup.
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Which attackers will leave Man United this summer?
Man United are pushing to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Matheus Cunha and Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap this summer, so there will have to be exits to fund further signings, with a number of players set to move on.
Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony are all currently out on loan, and the trio are set to depart this summer, which could potentiality raise as much as £100m when it comes to transfer fees.
There is also currently a host of speculation surrounding the future of Rasmus Hojlund, with Juventus, Atalanta BC and Napoli all believed to be interested in signing the Denmark international during this summer's transfer market.
Amorim needs to bring in system players, particularly in the final third of the field, as the team has transitioned from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3, and Alejandro Garnacho is another who could potentially be on the move during the summer market.
Former Man United defender Paul Parker recently told Sports Mole that Amorim needs to be given a chance to bring in his own players before judgement can be passed on the Portuguese.
Matt Law
