Aston Villa are eager to hold talks with Emiliano Buendia over a new deal as Unai Emery wants the Argentine attacker at the club.
Emiliano Buendia was close to leaving Aston Villa as recently as last summer, but he has turned a corner with some important performances this season. As per Football Insider, the Villans are eager to hold talks with the 29-year-old playmaker over a new deal, with Unai Emery pushing to keep hold of the attacker beyond the summer.
Emiliano Buendia signed for Aston Villa in what was seen as an important deal at the time, both from a financial and sporting point of view. The South American attacker has largely been hit and miss at Villa Park, as he could never emulate the displays he had for Norwich City before.
In January 2025, he left the West Midlands club for a loan stint with Bayer Leverkusen, which may have sparked his Aston Villa career back to life. This term, Unai Emery has used him extensively, with Buendia set to cross the 45-appearance mark across all competitions, and already playing in excess of 2,500 minutes for the club.
Buendia has also started 18 of his 30 Premier League games, while playing in each of their Europa League games. Overall, he has had a good season with the Birmingham giants, with Emery already keen to hand him a new deal and pushing the club to get it done.
Buendia will enter the final year of his deal with Aston Villa in the summer, which marks a point where the club must decide to keep him or sell to a bidder. Given the current predicament with PSR obligations, it appears the club are keen to rule out a sale in the close season and are now eager to open talks over a new deal with the 29-year-old playmaker.
Is keeping Emiliano Buendia important?
Aston Villa have had a few brushes with PSR, and ahead of the summer, some departures are expected at the club. However, in Emiliano Buendia’s case, they could potentially think about a sale, but replacing his role would cost them significantly more than what they might achieve by selling the Argentine international.
Moreover, Emery is eager to balance the squad and make use of his existing players, as attracting quality additions to the team would be challenging. Hence, from a financial and sporting perspective, keeping hold of the 29-year-old playmaker would seem like a wise decision for Villa, as a new deal will also eliminate the risk of losing him on a free in 2027.