Exclusive: Aston Villa set to rival Arsenal for £50m playmaker after scouting him last week
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Unai Emery has established Aston Villa as one of the best sides in the country since joining in November 2022.
Aston Villa finished inside the top four last term and are plying their trade in the Champions League this season.
They’ve made a productive start this term, too, as they reside just one point adrift of third-placed Chelsea.
| Position | Team | PlayedMP | WonW | DrawnD | LostL | ForGF | AgainstGA | DiffGD | PointsPts |
| 1 | LiverpoolLiverpool | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 28 |
| 2 | Man CityManchester City | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 23 |
| 3 | ChelseaChelsea | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 19 |
| 4 | ArsenalArsenal | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 19 |
| 5 | Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 19 |
| 6 | BrightonBrighton | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 19 |
| 7 | FulhamFulham | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 18 |
| 8 | NewcastleNewcastle | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 18 |
| 9 | Aston VillaAston Villa | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 18 |
| 10 | TottenhamTottenham | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 16 |
| 11 | BrentfordBrentford | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 16 |
| 12 | B’mouthBournemouth | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
Attention is already starting to turn towards the January transfer window as they look to bolster their ranks.
Emery is keen to add another playmaker to his squad and TBR Football can now confirm they scouted one last week.
Aston Villa scout Arsenal target Alex Baena
TBR Football understands that Aston Villa were present in Copenhagen last week to see wing target Alex Baena start for Spain against Denmark.
Baena was given the nod with Lamine Yamal out injured and Nico Williams on the bench. The Villarreal star featured for an hour in the Parken before being forced off through injury.
Baena is a player that Emery rates extremely highly from their time together at Villarreal and they have keep tabs on him constantly.
The Spaniard has already registered six goal involvements in 11 LaLiga outings so far this season and that’s put a number of other clubs on red alert.
Aston Villa face competition from Arsenal for Baena
Aston Villa are set to face stiff competition for Baena’s signature as he’s also on the radar of Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton and Newcastle United over the last 12-months.
The 23-year-old has a release clause of around £50million and is tied to Villarreal until 2028, so it won’t be an easy deal to do.
LaLiga giants Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are also known admirers of the seven-cap international.
