Aston Villa have fresh Emiliano Buendia contract urgency as interest inevitable after Europa League heroics
Aston Villa must try to get a new contract on the table for Emiliano Buendia as quickly as possible after he starred in their 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Thursday night.
The attacking midfielder notched a goal and an assist as Unai Emery’s men emerged victorious from their Europa League semi-final tie, as they completely overran their opponents.
Buendia continued his outstanding campaign with another influential display at Villa Park, and he now has 16 goal contributions to his name in all competitions in 2025-26.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for the Argentine after he became the Villans’ forgotten man last season, and they will surely now be desperate to keep hold of him long-term.
Buendia was the hero for Villa as they booked their ticket to Istanbul for the Europa League final, but his future in the second city is far from secure at the moment.
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VISIT THE VILLA MATCH HUBEmiliano Buendia bound to attract interest after Europa League display
Football Insider revealed last month that Villa are set to sit down with Buendia and discuss a new contract at the end of the season, but they now have a fresh sense of urgency to reach an agreement.
The former Norwich City man is heading into the final year of his deal in the summer, meaning the club have to get an extension in place in the coming months or they risk losing him for free in the summer of 2027.
| Stats | Buendia Totals |
| G/A | 2 |
| Chances Created | 4 |
| Shots on Target | 2 |
| Accurate Passes | 27/31 (87%) |
| Successful Dribbles | 2/3 (66%) |
| Duels Won | 8/13 (62%) |
Emery is clearly delighted with the way that Buendia has turned his fortunes around this term, as he has continually given him the nod in the big games and has often been rewarded with some big moments.
However, it is also possible that his performance in the Europa League on Thursday night could work to Villa’s detriment, after Buendia performed with the eyes of the world watching.
His impact on such a big stage is sure to have other clubs sitting up and taking notice, while potentially plotting a move to take advantage of his contract situation ahead of next season.
The only way that Villa will be able to stem that is by securing an extension to his current deal, which must surely now become a top priority for them in the coming months.
Buendia’s resurgence at Aston Villa is unprecedented
Buendia’s exit looked inevitable at this stage last year, as he was due to return to Villa Park after a largely unproductive loan spell with Bayer Leverkusen.
However, Emery threw him back into the fold in pre-season, with the club’s precarious standing in terms of the Premier League’s PSR ruling leaving them with little breathing room in the transfer market.
Buendia took full advantage of that with some impressive displays before the campaign got underway, and that has only continued as the season has worn on.
He has completely flipped his fate on its head in recent months, to the point where it would surely now be a travesty if Villa looked to cash in on him this summer.
That level of turnaround for a player is unprecedented in such a short timeframe, and Buendia deserves all the plaudits that he has received of late.
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