Alex Baena Scout Report
Alex Baena, in the midst of his 2023-2024 season with Villarreal in La Liga, has emerged as a diverse talent with a multi-positional aptitude. Adept in a multitude of roles, from a defensive midfielder to even a striker, at the tender age of 22, Baena has showcased immense potential, particularly shining in his natural position as a left midfielder. In terms of percentile rankings against his peers, Baena's prowess in chance creation should not go unmentioned. His superior vision and impressive 90% standing speaks volumes about his potential to construct goal-opportunities for his team. Standing at the pinnacle of assist contributions with a percentile of 100%, Baena exhibits an uncanny ability to engineer decisive passes, further reinforced by a illustrious progressive passing rank, positioning him at the summit amongst his colleagues. However, it is imperative to accentuate his grave inconsistency in front of goal, with a paltry goal efficiency percentile of 2%, showcasing a glaring contrast against an otherwise commendably high goal threat percentile of 76%, indicating his need for more composure in one-on-one situations. Similarly, his poor showing in successful dribbles per 90 at a low 22.92% bespeaks his struggle in taking on defenders, making it a potential area for development. On the contrary, his impressive stats for successful crosses and his ability to retain the ball, demonstrated in his ball recovery percentile of 80%, amplify his potential as a progressive carrier on the wings. With age on his side and performances reflecting his potential, Baena is a rising Spanish talent whose progress will be closely watched.