Atletico Madrid among clubs circling for Aston Villa transfer
Aston Villa midfielder Enzo Barrenechea has attracted interest from La Liga clubs ahead of the summer transfer window
Atletico Madrid are reportedly among several clubs to have registered interest in Aston Villa midfielder Enzo Barrenechea.
The 23-year-old joined Villa from Juventus last summer alongside Samuel Iling-Junior in a joint £18 million deal, while Douglas Luiz went the other way in a separate transaction worth £42 million. However, Barrenechea later moved to Valencia at the end of August after Unai Emery decided he needed regular first-team football.
Since arriving at Valencia, Barrenechea has arguably been their standout performer this season, playing a key role in helping the club steer clear of relegation danger.
Around Christmas, Valencia opted to replace Rubén Baraja—former Spain international—with Carlos Corberán after a disappointing start to their La Liga campaign. Since Corberán’s arrival, the team has climbed out of the bottom three and now sit eight points clear of the drop zone.
One of the highlights of their resurgence came earlier this month when they secured a stunning win over Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, with Barrenechea playing through injury on the night.
With his future uncertain heading into the summer, multiple clubs are monitoring his situation. Villa, who already have depth in midfield and are advancing talks to sign Rosenborg’s promising teenager Sverre Nypan, may still assess Barrenechea's progress during pre-season at Bodymoor Heath.
According to Tribuna Deportiva, Villarreal, Real Betis, and Atletico Madrid are all tracking the Argentine midfielder.
Earlier this year, when asked on DAZN if he would like to stay in Spain, Barrenechea 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."
What do you make of Barrenechea's future? Tell us here
Everyday, the BirminghamLive football desk strive to deliver all manner of news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Aston Villa content.
Our dedicated reporter John Townley - who you can follow on X by clicking here - follows Villa home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.
So much happens day to day and sometimes you can struggle to keep on top of the very latest updates as and when they occur - that's why we have produced a daily newsletter which you can sign up to, for free, and which means you'll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox. Sign up to the Villa newsletter here.
You can also get all your favourite content from BirminghamLive's Villa team on WhatsApp. Click here to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club.
If you prefer reading our Villa stories on your phone, consider downloading the BirminghamLive app, in which you can personalise the content you see by selecting Villa as one of your designated topics. You can get it from Apple here and for Android here.
Our weekly Aston Villa podcast, Claret And Blue, is also available to watch and listen on all major streaming services. You can subscribe to the YouTube channel here, while you can access the podcast on Spotify here and via Apple here.
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.