Getting to know: Álex Baena

Photo by Pedro Loureiro/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

The most high-profile arrival of all of those who have touched down at the Estadio Riyadh Air Metropolitano this summer has been Álex Baena following his signing from fellow La Liga side Villarreal early on in the transfer window.

Baena officially joined Atlético on July 2nd, signing a five-year contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2030. The transfer fee agreed with Villarreal includes €42 million in fixed payments, plus a further €8 million in performance-related bonuses, and

an additional €5 million in team-related clauses, taking the total value to a similar fee to the €55 million release clause which was in his Villarreal contract.

The Spanish international arrives as the player to have given more assists than anyone else in LaLiga last season, and will strengthen Diego Simeone’s side on the left flank as he arrives. Here, we’ll take a dig into who Atleti’s star signing is.

Baena's presentation highlights pic.twitter.com/andIFhdRQN

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) July 29, 2025

Who is Álex Baena?

Alejandro Baena Rodríguez is a 23‑year‑old Spanish midfielder born on 20 July 2001 in Roquetas de Mar, Almería. He joined Villarreal’s youth academy in 2011 and progressed through their C and B teams before debuting with Villarreal’s first team in July 2020. He had a successful loan at Girona in 2021–22, helping them earn promotion. Back in Villarreal, he became one of La Liga’s brightest talents, ending 2023/24 as top assist provider with 14 assists. In the 2024/25 season he recorded seven goals and nine assists in 33 league games and created a league‑leading 95 goal‑chances. Internationally, he has played at all Spain youth levels and debuted for the senior side in September 2023, scoring two minutes after coming on in his first game for his country at that level. To date, summer 2024 was one of his career highlights as he formed part of both Spain’s Euro 2024 and Olympic gold‑medal winning squads, scoring in the Olympic final and being named in its best XI of the tournament.

Where does Baena play and how does he fit in?

Baena’s arrival is arguably the most transcendental in that it could have a major impact. In theory, the most obvious way in which he would come into the Atlético side is as a straight swap into the left midfield role, replacing the duo of Conor Gallagher and Samuel Lino who shared the position through 2024/25. In a 4-4-2 shape, he would offer a more direct and offensive option with real creativity from the left flank.

Also seen in pre-season have been experiments with Baena operating behind Julián Álvarez as a number 10. It’s sparked speculation as an option to change shape, possibly even with a three at the back, which would then allow Baena and fellow new arrival Thiago Almada to operate as a duo in a ‘Christmas tree’ shape formation, with a back four protected by three central midfielders, two more advanced figures and Álvarez leading the line. The exit, and current failure to replace, Rodrigo de Paul, could leave the squad options thin on the ground centrally to enable such a system, but it’s not impossible.

Photo by Pedro Loureiro/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Who does Baena play like?

Baena’s ability to operate across various attacking positions, coupled with his vision, passing range, and comfort in between the lines, mean that there are plenty of options to compare Baena to others. One of the most frequent comparisons is one which compares him to Philippe Coutinho during his time at Liverpool, sharing a knack for creating space and delivering incisive passes to become key to the team’s offensive strategy. Closer to home, the most direct comparison is Antoine Griezmann, when dropping deeper behind the front line. While Griezmann might be more of a finisher, his creativity in between the lines and willingness to track back and work hard make it a logical comparison to Baena.

Does Baena have any links to Atleti?

There’s no personal or hometown connection to Atleti, but he will reunite at Atlético with fellow Spaniard Pablo Barrios, his former midfield partner at the Paris 2024 Olympics as the pair won gold. Perhaps what most closely links him to the club has been his tense relationship with Real Madrid. Shaped by a 2023 incident in which Fede Valverde punched him post-match, allegedly over a personal remark, Baena filed a complaint and later said, “It was a very tough time… it affected my life, football, and family,” while criticising Madrid’s club culture and media. He’s since faced whistles at the Bernabéu and online abuse, including threats to his daughter.

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

What’s been said about Baena?

Villarreal’s Director of Football Miguel Ángel Tena described Baena as “a player with a special talent that, added to his understanding of the game, makes him a differential player across world football at the moment” when speaking to Opta. His former team-mates have long lauded him publicly, including Spain international and Villarreal attacker Ayoze Pérez, who said that, “Baena has a glove on his foot, he delivers the ball with such precision, you just have to time your run”. Pundits have also praised the move, with Marcos López of COPE’s Tiempo de Juego claiming that “Baena is perfect for Atlético”, justifying his statement by saying that “he’s coming from Marcelino’s system and style, similar to Atlético’s successful approach from when they last won LaLiga”.

What has Baena said about signing?

After months of speculation, it was perhaps not surprising when Baena said at his presentation that “I always wanted to come to Atlético,” explaining that “I’ve always liked it because of its players, the coach and the fans, I held out to be able to come here, it’s always been my dream”. In addition to giving the Spanish newspapers a nice headline about hoping to tattoo any trophies he wins with Atlético, he also spoke in admiration of coach Diego Simeone, saying that, “I know he is a very demanding coach”. Baena added that “I also like to be pushed, because that’s how they get the best out of me. I’m really looking forward to him coaching me”.

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