Both Newcastle United and Aston Villa have had polar opposite starts to the Premier League season, with Villa currently sitting in fourth place. In spite of an absence of significant additions to their squad in the summer, Eddie Howe's Newcastle United side have won just three of their first nine league matches.
The most positive news for Newcastle in recent weeks is the contract renewal of Anthony Gordon, who has committed his future to the club. Even so, the Magpies are still looking for attacking options, particularly after Gordon missed a number of games through injury, including the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.
The Spanish club is reported to be asking for more than £50m for winger Alex Baena, according to Football365. As part of Spain's European triumph during the summer, Baena impressed scouts from both clubs when he played Getafe and Real Valladolid recently.
Because of his previous working relationship with Unai Emery, Villa may have an advantage over Newcastle United, who may be interested in a move to England. Although Emery's side features a variety of attacking talent, he has struggled to provide both Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran with adequate game time. In particular, Duran has been a key player off the bench.
Villa have enjoyed a flawless start to their European campaign thanks to the Colombian international's goals in both the Premier League and Champions League, which included a standout win over Bayern Munich at home. Villa are keen on building a strong attacking force for the future after Duran recently signed a new contract that keeps him at the club until 2030.
As for Newcastle, they aspire to return to European football after missing out after Manchester United's FA Cup victory last season. Duran, at 20, and Newcastle's Alexander Isak, at 25, are both seen as key players for their respective clubs, aiming to establish a formidable attacking line-up over time.