Enzo Barrenechea makes Valencia splash after Aston Villa transfer decision
Enzo Barrenechea could be in line for a first start as a Valencia player this coming weekend after the Aston Villa loanee made his debut in the recent 3-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid. Midfielder Barrenechea, who only joined Villa from Juventus this summer as part of the deal which also involved Douglas Luiz and Samuel Iling-Junior, was granted a loan move before the transfer deadline and headed to Spain.
An unused substitute in his first game against Villarreal, Barrenechea was introduced at the Metropolitana against Atleti last weekend at half time with Valencia 1-0 down. Despite the final score-line - Atleti won 3-0, including a first goal for Conor Gallagher - Barrenechea is said to have impressed in midfield in place of Hugo Guillamon, whose place he is now threatening ahead of the clash with Champions League Girona on Saturday.
Barrenechea, like Iling-Junior, went with Villa to the US this summer to partake in the club's pre-season campaign but it became clear that the 23-year-old wouldn't have the game time he craved this season if he stayed - Unai Emery, after all, has Jacob Ramsey, Amadou Onana, John McGinn, Youri Tielemans and the returning Boubacar Kamara as his options. The prospect of minutes in Spain, though, appears more hopeful.
READ: Club president issues update as Villa linked with Brazilian teen sensation
READ: Wolves injury update before Villa with midfielder 'on crutches' and two doubts
"I think Enzo's arrival has given us things, he's a player who can contribute things," Valencia manager Ruben Baraja assessed, when asked of Barrenechea's 45-minute performance against Atleti. "We have to try to look for the positive things that could have happened in the game."
Barrenechea himself knows he's a little short on match fitness at the moment, but he intends to build that up gradually in the coming weeks as he bids to earn a spell in the starting XI.
"First I'm all, I'm happy to make my debut," he said. "It was a pity about the result, but I think we will continue to work as we have been doing to reverse the situation. Personally I've been feeling very good, I've been getting a little bit better and then a little bit better. I think at the minute I'm short of games and I'll get it [match fitness] bit by bit."