OFFICIAL: Atletico Madrid sign Álex Baena from Villarreal on a 5 years deal

OFFICIAL: Atletico Madrid sign Álex Baena from Villarreal for 5 years

Club Statement

Our club and Villarreal have reached an agreement for the transfer of the Almería-born player, who will wear the red and white jersey for the next five seasons.

Atlético de Madrid and Villarreal have reached an agreement for the transfer of Álex Baena, a 23-year-old midfielder who has signed with our club until June 30, 2030.

Born on July 20, 2001, in Roquetas de Mar (Almería), he joined the Castellón team's youth system in 2011 and made his first-team debut on July 13, 2020, in a league match against Real Sociedad.

A midfielder with great speed, striking ability, and vision, he has played in every possible position in midfield throughout his career, particularly as a left-winger, although his natural foot is his right foot. He also boasts excellent passing ability, which last season led him to become LaLiga's top assist provider with 14 assists.

A UEFA Europa League winner in 2021 while wearing the yellow jersey, he spent the following season on loan at Girona, where he played a key role in the Catalan side's promotion to the First Division, playing 45 matches for them.

An international in all the youth categories of the Spanish national team, his consolidation in the elite after his return to Villarreal opened the doors to the senior team, with which he made his debut on September 12, 2023, against Cyprus. His debut proved to be unbeatable, as just two minutes after coming onto the pitch, he scored a goal with the first ball he touched. Thus began a love affair with the national team that would lead him to a double in the summer of 2024, participating in both the European Championship and Olympic gold at the Paris Olympic Games. The latter competition saw him share a midfield with Pablo Barrios, with whom he will once again share a dressing room at Atlético de Madrid.

Our new player passed the necessary medical examination at the Vithas-Invictum High-Performance Sports Medicine Center at the Arturo Soria University Hospital of Madrid, before heading to the club offices at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. There, he was welcomed by our CEO, Miguel Ángel Gil, with whom he signed his contract with our club.

Welcome, Alex!