Arsenal were hard at work even during the international break.
Mikel Arteta had to allow a number of his players to go and represent their countries over the last week, and Leandro Trossard became the latest player to get injured.
Thankfully, everyone else seems to have come out unscathed – even Mikel Merino, who had been struggling prior to the break.
Now, one of Merino’s international teammates is said to have caught Arsenal scouts’ eye ahead of the January transfer window.
Arsenal scouted Alex Baena when he played with Mikel Merino for Spain
Alex Baena started for Spain in their penultimate Nations League game against Denmark in Copenhagen.
The Spaniard, who plays his club football with Villarreal, started on the left flank – the same side of the pitch as Arsenal star Merino.
The Gunners have had an eye on Baena for a while now, having been impressed with his stunning season for Villarreal in 2023/24. He provided 18 assists last season – more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues.
Arsenal wanted to watch how Baena would fare in the same team as Merino, so Arteta sent scouts to see the duo in Copenhagen.
That’s according to Football Transfers, who claim that Baena has “a profile that perfectly fits Arsenal’s current needs.”
The 23-year-old has a €60 million (£50m) release clause in his contract that does not expire until the summer of 2028. That puts Villarreal in a strong position in potential negotiations.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal will attempt a move in the January transfer window.
Baena could solve one key problem at Arsenal
Arsenal haven’t had a great start to the season.
Arteta’s side are already nine points behind league leaders Liverpool, and they have looked clueless in attack on multiple occasions.
Gabriel Martinelli has come under a lot of criticism for not being as productive as he was in the 2022/23 season. He hasn’t been able to create much either.
Baena, who provided 18 assists in all competitions last season, 15 of which came when he played on the left flank, could solve all the creativity issues Arsenal are currently facing on that side of their pitch.
However, we urge Arsenal fans not to right off Martinelli just yet – we think he’s still good enough to turn things around on the left wing.
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