Arsenal eye Baena but January move stalls amid €80m price tag

Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta, are eyeing Atletico Madrid winger Alex Baena to bring him to North London, with a fee of at least €80m (£67m) if they move in summer, making a January bid unlikely.

Baena’s rise and Arsenal’s interest

The 25-year-old Spain international joined Atletico Madrid from Villarreal in the summer of 2025 for €45m and signed a contract until 2030. He has contributed five goals and four assists in 14 appearances this season, taking his career tally to 92 goal contributions from 253 games. His rapid rise continues to attract attention from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Baena operates primarily as a left‑sided forward but can also play centrally or as a makeshift number nine, a versatility that has caught the eye of Diego Simeone’s side. Arsenal have tracked Baena since his Villarreal days and view him as a versatile option to add depth to their left flank, especially after Eberechi Eze’s underwhelming displays.

Competing suitors and Atletico’s stance

Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are also monitoring Baena, with Villa’s interest linked to Unai Emery’s familiarity from Villarreal. Atletico Madrid, currently second in LaLiga and two points behind Barcelona, consider Baena part of Simeone’s long‑term plans and are unwilling to sell in January unless an exceptional bid arrives. With just under four years remaining on his contract and no pressing need to sell, the Spanish side hold the upper hand and are likely to reject mid‑season enquiries.

Wider transfer market chatter

TEAMtalk reported that Real Madrid have identified an Arsenal star as a “dream” transfer target for Jose Mourinho. The same outlet also noted that Bournemouth are deciding on selling Eli Junior Kroupi to Arsenal, with the striker reportedly flattered by interest. Both TEAMtalk and TEAMTALK highlighted these additional rumours in their coverage, and the MORE ARSENAL NEWS ON TEAMTALK section also listed further rumours.