Atletico Madrid have confirmed the signing of Álex Baena from Villarreal on a five-year deal, with the midfielder set to remain at the Wanda Metropolitano until June 2030.
Softfootball understands that both clubs reached an agreement for the transfer of the 23-year-old, who becomes Diego Simeone’s latest reinforcement ahead of the 2025/26 La Liga campaign.
It was also announced on the Atletico Madrid’s X handle this afternoon.
¡Bienvenido, Álex Baena! 🤩
Acuerdo con el @VillarrealCF para el traspaso del internacional español, que firma por cinco temporadas con nuestro club. pic.twitter.com/2ecxeQZcf3
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) July 2, 2025
Before finalising the deal, Baena completed his medical at the Vithas-Invictum High-Performance Sports Medicine Centre at the Arturo Soria University Hospital. He then visited the club’s offices at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, where he was received by CEO Miguel Ángel Gil and officially signed his contract.
Baena joined the Villarreal youth system after joining the Yellow Submarine in 2011. He made his first-team debut in July 2020 against Real Sociedad and has since grown into one of La Liga’s most creative midfielders.
Baena is known for his pace, vision, and sharp passing ability, traits that helped him register a league-high 14 assists last season and will be using the same skill to help Madrid compete extensively in La Liga and the Champions League.
Despite being naturally right-footed, the midfielder has mastered the usage of operating on the left side of midfield and can comfortably fill various attacking roles.
He was also part of the Villarreal squad that won the UEFA Europa League in 2021, before spending the following campaign on loan at Girona, where he played 45 matches and played a key role in their promotion to La Liga.
At the international level, Baena has represented Spain across all youth categories and earned his senior debut on September 12, 2023, against Cyprus — a match in which he scored just two minutes after coming on. He went on to feature in both the UEFA Euro 2024 and the Paris 2024 Olympics, playing a vital role in Spain’s Olympic gold medal win, where he lined up alongside Pablo Barrios in a midfield partnership that will now be rekindled at Atlético.
Beana’s arrival, meanwhile, explains Softfootball’s earlier report on Atletico Madrid’s turn-down of a possible re-signing of Thomas Partey from Arsenal, despite Partey becoming available on a free transfer this summer.
Baena becomes the latest in a line of strategic signings aimed at reshaping Atlético’s midfield, as Simeone looks to build a squad capable of challenging on all fronts in the new season.
