Enzo Barrenechea has joined Valencia on loan from Aston Villa, according to Fabrizio Romano. There is no option for the Spanish side to buy him permanently.
The Argentine midfielder signed with Aston Villa earlier this summer from Juventus and will spend the season in Spain getting game time and improving before returning to England.
The 23-year-old began his football journey at Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina before moving to Europe, where he joined Swiss club Sion in 2019 for €3.1 million.
His time in Switzerland was short-lived, as he soon caught the attention of Juventus and joined their U23 side.
However, his progress was halted by an ACL injury in May 2021, which sidelined him for nine months. Despite this setback, Barrenechea returned to action determined and eventually earned a spot in the first team during the 2022/23 season.
In search of regular playing time, Barrenechea went on loan to newly promoted Frosinone, where he quickly became a key player under coach Eusebio Di Francesco. Even though Frosinone suffered relegation, his performances did not go unnoticed.
He demonstrated impressive positional discipline, anticipation, and the ability to read the game – qualities that have become trademarks of his play.
Known for his calmness on the ball and solid tackling ability, Barrenechea excels in the defensive midfield role, often acting as the anchor. His ability to recycle possession and contribute to build-up play makes him a valuable asset.
Valencia will benefit from Barrenechea’s talents this season. They have struggled early on under Ruben Baraja, whose set-up continues to irk many Los Che fans.
There has been clamour for him to switch to a 4-3-3 as his side has been struggling for control in midfield in a 4-4-2, and the addition of the Villa midfielder might help their cause.
He will provide competition for Pepelu and Hugo Guillamon as the La Liga side look to keep their head above water. Aston Villa will hope to get a more mature player ready to make an impact in the starting XI in 2025.
