Enzo Barrenechea gives Aston Villa transfer response as Valencia stun Real Madrid
Enzo Barrenechea has excelled under Carlos Corberan at Valencia
Aston Villa’s Enzo Barrenechea has been a revelation for Valencia this season.
The midfielder joined the La Liga club at the end of August after Unai Emery decided he needed regular game time elsewhere.
Barrenechea signed for Villa from Juventus last summer, alongside Samuel Iling-Junior, in a double deal worth around £18m, as Douglas Luiz went the other way in a separate transaction valued at £42m.
In November, Barrenechea received his first senior Argentina call-up after impressing during his early months at Valencia.
At the time, however, Valencia were in the La Liga relegation zone, prompting the club to appoint Carlos Corberán to replace former Spain international Rubén Baraja around Christmas.
Since Corberán’s arrival, Valencia have climbed out of the bottom three and now sit seven points clear of the drop after a stunning win over Real Madrid at the Bernabéu on Saturday night.
Valencia took the lead through Mouctar Diakhaby in the 15th minute, before Vinícius Junior equalised shortly after the break.
But Madrid were unable to turn the game around to boost their title hopes, as Valencia’s Hugo Duro headed in Rafa Mir’s cross in the fifth minute of second-half added time.
Barrenechea made his 11th league start under Corberán against Madrid and played a key role in the memorable victory.
He was substituted in the 94th minute, and the former West Brom boss revealed after full-time that Barrenechea had been managing an injury before the game but battled through it for the team.
“He was very fatigued,” Corberan said of the loanee. “He took a knock to his glute against Mallorca.
“He has a very strong character and personality, and he gave his all on the pitch. That's the mentality we have to have.”
Barrenechea is enjoying life in Valencia, where his sister has enrolled at university and the locals speak his native language.
“I’m in great form, but the important thing is the group, which is getting better and closer to our goal,” Barrenechea said earlier this week. “I came here with the goal of getting minutes, but what matters most to me is saving the game.
“The coach asks me to provide balance, to distribute, to play forward when I can, to provide assists, and I try to learn and accept what the coach asks of me. I try to add details to my game. I have to score another goal.”
He added: “I fell in love with Valencia from the first day. I love everything about it: the club, the city, having my family, the way the people treat me… and that adds a lot."
When asked on DAZN if he would like to stay in Spain, he said: "Well, without a doubt, although my transfer belongs to Aston Villa.
“Hopefully at some point, if it has to be next year or whenever it has to be, I will stay in Spain. The truth is that it is a very nice league, very competitive.
“The truth is that I am gaining experience with this league and I like it a lot."
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Aston Villa is marking its 150th anniversary with the launch of a new merch collection including shirts, hoodies, books, mugs and scarves.
Top items include the Anniversary Shirt, Anniversary Hoodie and Anniversary Polo Shirt, plus the 150 Years picture books Volume One and Volume Two.