It has been a sensational season for Nottingham Forest so far.
The men in Garibaldi Red are flying, and currently sit third in the Premier League with 44 points to their name, the same number as Arsenal who are second only on goal difference. Liverpool are the only club with more points and sit six points clear of Forest at the top of the table.
Momentum is a crucial thing in a top-four race, which Forest can surely consider themselves in now. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have now gone unbeaten in nine games across competitions, and seem in a good place to secure shock Champions League qualification.
To keep that momentum going, they might well dip into the transfer market and have been linked with attacking reinforcements, notably Yoanne Wissa.
It was reported on Tuesday that the club have submitted a bid 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 Spain international attacking midfielder Alex Baena. The 23-year-old has been impressive once again this term for the Yellow Submarine, and could now depart the club as soon as January.
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According to reports from Spain, Forest are one of the teams who are eying up a move for the Euro 2024 winner, perhaps as soon as January. The report suggests they have ‘shown a 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 allegedly ‘willing’ to trigger that exit clause but face competition from fellow Premier League outfit and top-four rivals Newcastle United, as well as German giants Bayern Munich.
Why Baena would be a better signing than Yoanne Wissa
It has been a superb 2024/25 campaign for Baena in that famous yellow shirt of Villarreal. He has five goals and five assists in 18 top-flight games for the LaLiga outfit this term, including two assists in a single game against Espanyol.
The Villarreal number 16 was described as a “difference-maker” by Spanish football journalist Gonzalo Rodriguez, which certainly rings true when you consider the fact he has only registered a goal involvement in one loss this season. He is also incredibly consistent and has only had a maximum of four games without a goal or assist this term.
Baena’s stats via FBref over the last year compared to other midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues are, to put it simply, outstanding. He ranks highly for many creative metrics, showing the influence he can have on his side in the final third.
For example, the Spanish attacking midfielder, who won Euro 2024 and Olympic gold last year, ranks in the top 1% of midfielders for several key metrics. That includes key passes, which he plays an average of 3.47 each game and shot-creating actions, which he averages 5.96 per 90 minutes.
Key passes
3.47
99th
Assists
0.45
99th
Expected assists
0.41xA
99th
Passes into penalty area
2.42
99th
Shot-creating actions
5.96
99th
If the stats are anything to go by, Baena’s influence on the Forest team will be monumental. He could be the man to help steer the two-time European champions towards the promised land of the Champions League.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
However, if he is going to sign for Forest for around £50m, it does beg the question of whether it is still worth the East Midlands club signing the aforementioned Wissa from Brentford. They reportedly had a £22m bid rejected for the attacker but could well go back in for him.
Wissa has been fantastic for the Bees this term, with 11 goals in 19 Premier League games. However, that is not more than Chris Wood, with the Forest striker currently on 14 goals from 22 appearances, and showing no signs of stopping.
With that in mind, if it is either Wissa or Baena, perhaps adding to the supply of goals for Wood, thus signing the Spaniard, is a better investment.
The money that is being spent on the Brentford star could instead be reinvested to bring in someone who is an elite creator and will improve Wood’s output even more.
It remains to be seen which signing Forest make, but perhaps spending that kind of money on someone who is statistically one of the best creators on the continent might be a better investment as the club look to establish itself as a genuine top-four contender.
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