It's been an exciting season Nottingham Forest yet.
The Men in Red Garibaldi are currently flying It ranks third in the Premier League With 44 points, the same number as Arsenal, which ranks second on goal difference only. Liverpool are the only club with more points and are six points clear of Forest at the top of the table.
Momentum is crucial in a top-four race, which Forest can certainly consider themselves in now. Nuno Espirito Santo The side is gone now Unbeaten in nine matches Across the competitions, they appear well placed to secure surprise Champions League qualification.
To keep this momentum going, they may dip in the transfer market and have been linked with attacking reinforcements, in particular Yoan Wesa.
It was reported on Tuesday that the club had Make an offer for the Brentford striker But he's not the only player on their radar before the month is out.
Nottingham Forest target attacking depth
The player in question here is Villarreal and Spanish international attacking midfielder Alex Baena. The 23-year-old has been impressive again this season for Yellow Submarine, and could now leave the club as soon as January.
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According to reports from SpainForest are one of the teams looking to sign the Euro 2024 winner, possibly as soon as January. The report notes that they “showed clear interest” in bringing him in.
However, the East Midlands outfit are not alone in the race for the Villarreal star, who has a £51m release clause. They are claimed to be “prepared” to trigger this exit clause but face competition from fellow Premier League and top four rivals Newcastle United, as well as German giants Bayern Munich.
Why signing Baena would be better than Yoanne Wissa
It has been a fantastic 2024/25 season for Baena in the famous yellow shirt of Villarreal. He has five goals and five assists In 18 Premier League matches For the La Liga team this season, including two assists in one match against Espanyol.
He described Villarreal player No. 16 as a “difference maker.” Written by Spanish football journalist Gonzalo Rodriguezwhich certainly rings true when you consider the fact that he has only scored one goal in one loss this season. He's also incredibly consistent and has only gone a maximum of four games without registering a goal or assist this season.
Baena statistics via FBref Over the past year compared to other midfielders in Europe's top five leagues, they have been, quite simply, outstanding. He ranks highly on several creative metrics, demonstrating the impact he can have on his team in the final third.
For example, the Spanish attacking midfielder, who won Euro 2024 and an Olympic gold medal last year, ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in several key metrics. This includes key passes, which he plays at an average of 3.47 per game, and shot creation movements, which he averages at 5.96 per 90 minutes.
|
Baena's creative statistics for the past 365 days |
||
|---|---|---|
|
State (per 90) |
number |
Percentile |
|
Key passes |
3.47 |
99th |
|
Helps |
0.45 |
99th |
|
Expected assists |
0.41xA |
99th |
|
Passes to the penalty area |
2.42 |
99th |
|
Snapshot creation procedures |
5.96 |
99th |
|
Statistics from FBref |
||
If the stats are any indication, Baena's impact on the Forest team will be enormous. He could be the man who helps guide the two-time European champions towards the promised land of the Champions League.
Shot creation actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. This includes moments such as a pass, shot or foul.
However, if he were to sign for Forest for around £50m, it begs the question of whether it would still be worth it for the East Midlands club to sign the aforementioned Wesa from Brentford. They reportedly had A bid of £22 million was rejected to the attacker but can return to him.
Wesa has been fantastic for the Bees this season, with 11 goals in 19 Premier League matches. However, that is no more than Chris Wood, with the Forest striker currently in the squad 14 goals from 22 matchesAnd it shows no signs of stopping.
With that in mind, if it were Huesa or Baena, perhaps adding more goals for Wood, and thus signing the Spaniard, would have been a better investment.
The money spent on the Brentford star could instead be reinvested into bringing in someone who is an elite creative player and would improve Wood's production further.
It remains to be seen what Forest's signing will be, but perhaps spending that kind of money on someone who is statistically one of the best creators on the continent would be a better investment as the club looks to establish itself as a genuine contender for the top four.
