Aston Villa to hold Emiliano Buendia ‘talks’ after U-turn
Aston Villa have enjoyed a rapid turnaround in their form following a disappointing start to the season, with Emiliano Buendia spearheading their recovery.
Unai Emery’s side beat Bournemouth 4-0 last time out, meaning they have now won five of their last six league games and have risen to sixth in the league table.
During this winning spell, Buendia has emerged as one of Villa’s most consistent players, and has continued to crucial goals notably against Tottenham and Man City.
The former Norwich star has picked up three goals and two assists in his last five games, but his contract is set to expire in 2027, leading to speculation about his future.
Football Insider revealed in August that Aston Villa were open to offers for Buendia in the transfer window’s closing stages, but they may now be set for a U-turn.
Aston Villa planning contract talks with Buendia
Football Insider revealed on 8 October that Buendia could sign a new Aston Villa contract as a result of his performances so far this season.
Having established himself as an important part of the starting XI at Villa Park, plans are not being put in place to discuss renewed terms in the coming weeks.
That is according to former Aston Villa and Man United senior scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Emery is keen to keep the midfielder at the club beyond next summer.
“I expect they’ll want to offer him a new contract,” he told Football Insider.
“Given the fact he’s performing so well for Aston Villa, and giving them something nobody else in the squad can, I think it’s likely there will be talks soon.
“They’ll speak to him about his place in the squad and things like that, and then maybe it’ll be up to him.
“I know of him quite well, when he was at Norwich there was a lot of talk about him, but he hasn’t quite been able to do it consistently since he joined Villa.
“Now, things are finally starting to click for him and he’s having a really good spell.
“If he can keep this up over the next few games and prove he can do it consistently, he’ll have earned a new deal, and he’s playing himself into it at the moment.
“It’s an area of the squad where Villa are weak, and Unai Emery will want to keep him around, so like I said, I expect they’ll want to give him a new deal.”
Leeds and Birmingham racing to sign Buendia in January
Despite Villa’s renewed plans to hand the attacking midfielder a new contract, there has also been growing interest in his situation at Villa Park.
Football Insider revealed in September that Birmingham City want to sign Buendia from their bitter rivals in a shock move when the January transfer window opens.
However, the Blues will face obstacles in their pursuit as Emery has no plans to lose any attacking players, while Villa are reluctant to sell to their rivals.
Leeds have also been long-term admirers of Buendia and planned to make a move for him during the summer, although nothing materialised.
While he is still believed to be on their list of targets, as Daniel Farke wants to sign an attacking midfielder in January, a move is currently considered unlikely.
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