Aston Villa have signed Enzo Barrenechea from Juventus,
Villa agreed a €22million ($18.6m; $23.6m) fee in a deal which also saw Samuel Iling-Junior make the move to the midlands from the Serie A side. Both have signed five-year contracts at Villa Park.
Our writers — experts in transfers, tactics, data and football finance — have come together to rate this summer’s senior Premier League transfers in five categories, with each aspect given a score out of 100, to reach a total score out of 500. Hence, The Athletic 500. The ratings are explained in more detail here.
Below is our rating for this move.
Get the latest transfer news on The Athletic…
Tactical fit — 59/100
A look at how the player fits into his new club tactically, using Sentient Sports’ bespoke tactical-fit model, explained by our tactical expert.
Barrenechea profiles to be a project signing made to boost Villa’s squad depth.
Last season, he was deployed at Frosinone as the holder in a 4-3-3, as part of a defensive midfield duo in a 4-2-3-1 and often as a central midfielder in three-at-the-back formations. However, Frosinone rarely used a 4-4-2, Unai Emery’s preferred formation at Villa. This will make his adaptation to the demands of Villa and the Premier League harder.
However, Barrenechea excels in defensive coverage. Below is a graph with his key defensive metrics from Serie A last season — he outperformed Douglas Luiz in each of these categories. At 6ft 1in, Barrenechea also offers height to a Villa midfield largely on the shorter side and can be a target from set pieces.
As these show, Barrenechea is good at reading opportunities to cut out danger (0.9 interceptions per 90 minutes in the league). In the sequence below, from a 2-0 defeat to Roma in October last year, he is the only Frosinone player to spot an opponent running in from the edge of the area and reacts immediately to clear out the cross.
Barrenechea is also an astute passer and completed 85 per cent of his 60.9 attempts per 90, including 65 per cent of his 6.2 long passes, in the league last season. He is excellent at progressing the ball, ranking in the top 20 per cent among his peers in passes into the final third in Serie A last season.
In the sequence below from a 4-3 defeat to Cagliari last October, Barrenechea wins the ball near the halfway line and gets forward before laying it off for Luca Garritano, whose chipped cross ends in the hands of the goalkeeper.
A key thing to notice at the end is Barrenechea’s positioning as he doesn’t actively make his way into the box, preferring to hang back. This is one aspect of his game that Villa will need to work on as the Argentinian doesn’t pose the same goal threat that Luiz or even John McGinn.
Thus, despite his positive attributes and potential, Barrenechea’s rawness means he is unlikely to be an immediate starter for Villa. At 23, however, he boasts plenty of potential and could rise to that level in a season or two under Emery.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
Season rating: 58/100
Rating the player over the course of last season, using statistics from The Athletic’s data team.
Barrenechea’s season with Frosinone was his first consistent year of top-flight football and he established himself as a key figure in Eusebio Di Francesco’s midfield.
He chalked up 36 league appearances, starting 32 matches, mainly playing in a deep-lying midfield role. His best moment came in the Coppa Italia, where he scored his only goal of the season in a stunning 4-0 win away at Napoli.
GO DEEPER
Iling-Junior and Barrenechea offer Villa more than just help with PSR
His team struggled overall though and they were ultimately relegated to Serie B. But Barrenechea still impressed, and the club’s technical director even went as far as to say that he “reminds me of Frank Rijkaard”.
That’s some praise and perhaps overstates his performances. But there had been talk of a recall for Barrenechea midway through the season. But he stayed the course and has clearly benefited from a season at this level.
Peter Rutzler
Gaming rating: 69/100
Rating the player according to Football Manager 2024’s data across both current and potential ability.
The data from Football Manager’s extensive scouting network reflects what is expected of Barrenechea. He is a player who is unlikely to be first choice for Villa in the short term, with a current ability rating of 128. But his potential ability suggests he could be a good Premier League option in the future, provided his development continues smoothly.
His current ability rating puts him on a par with former Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga and Malang Sarr (Chelsea), who are recent Premier League players of a similar age. At Villa, his current ability is above Morgan Rogers (125).
The Argentinian’s potential ability takes him to the same current ability as both Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara (147). Longer-term, then, Football Manager suggests he could become more of a regular.
Peter Rutzler
Financial value rating: 56/100
A four-category summary of the player’s transfer in financial terms — and whether it makes sense for his new club.
Market value — 12/25
Barrenechea signs as part of a deal that also includes Samuel Iling-Junior for €22million. Assessing his market value will depend on how much of that fee accounts for Barrenechea’s signing. He’s likely to be the cheaper party on paper, but PSR purposes may put the fees closer together. When split between the two players, this feels a tad above value for Barrenechea, considering his age and experience to date.
Squad cost — 18/25
This deal was also in tandem with Douglas Luiz leaving Villa for €50million, as well as the arrival of Iling-Junior. As a result, his arrival has not hindered Villa’s budget greatly and helped their 2023-24 PSR position. He also directly fills Luiz’s position. Losing Luiz is a blow, he’s a player of greater quality, but cost-wise this looks positive.
GO DEEPER
How did Premier League sides overcome PSR issues? And can they now spend?
Contract sensibility — 14/25
A five-year contract is no surprise considering the benefits for PSR purposes; it allows Villa to spread the cost of the fee over five years. At 23, this means Villa will keep Barrenechea into his prime years. It’s good for all parties, although it may be burdensome if Barrenechea does not make a mark.
Resale value — 12/25
The combined outlay for Barrenechea and Iling-Junior is not cheap and unlike Iling-Junior, who is 20, Barrenechea is older so it perhaps limits his resale ceiling. For a good profit, he would need to take some big steps in the coming years. Not impossible, but it does mean his resale potential is lower than Iling-Junior’s.
Peter Rutzler
Risk or reward? 53/100
Is there a history of injury or other problems that could crop up and make this deal a bad one in retrospect? Or does the player come with a clean bill of health? Our expert takes a look.
Unlike the case of Samuel Iling Junior, which appears to be a better fit, Barrenechea feels more like a makeweight option, and that increases the risk of the deal.
Barrenechea turned 23 in May but has just one full season of experience at the top level. He had a serious knee ligament injury that ruled him out from May 2021 to February 2022 and he has only managed 168 senior minutes for Juve but his season in Serie A marks a consistent building block and suggests his injury worries are behind him.
Barrenechea may need some time to adapt, not just to the Premier League but also to a new country. There is space in the Villa midfield for him. Douglas Luiz is departing and Boubacar Kamara remains out with a knee ligament injury.
It feels unlikely Barrenechea will be a regular starter but there are some positives that underline his potential.
Peter Rutzler
Overall rating: 295/500
(Top photo: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
