Aston Villa are making a clear mistake with Emiliano Buendia, the data tells a different story

Aston Villa's plan to hand Emiliano Buendia a new contract looks like a mistake when his Premier League stats from this season are uncovered.

Villa have reportedly opened talks with Buendia's representatives about extending his contract in the last few days.

The 29-year-old's current deal expires in June 2027, while the club do have an option to automatically extend it for another 12 months.

Unai Emery and the Villans' board are keen to reward Buendia with longer, improved terms off the back of his latest long-range strike against Spurs.

An in-depth look at the Argentine playmaker's PL stats since the start of this campaign shows why that may be the wrong decision.

Buendia has revived his Villa career over the last 12 months and will be in line for bigger wages as they look to fend off interest from clubs abroad.

Emiliano Buendia has flattered to deceive statistically for Villa this season

Emery included Buendia in his plans for last season after a loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen, and he repaid the faith shown in him to great effect.

The 29-year-old registered 11 goals and nine assists in 54 appearances and scored in Villa's Europa League final win over Freiburg.

He has continued to start regularly at the start of this season, but looks to have dropped off a level despite their contract plans.

Buendia's strike at Spurs was his first PL goal contribution of the campaign, with his 0.45 shots on target per 90 ranking coming in the 33rd percentile of attacking midfielders so far this season.

He has sprinted 8.47 times per 90, which is in in the bottom 11 per cent of attacking midfielders, while his 0.05 expected assists per 90 is in the bottom 22 per cent.

Buendia also ranks poorly for key metrics like successful pass percentage (75.7%), line-breaking passes (4.46) and successful dribbles per 90 (0.89).

He is in the 32nd percentile for chances created per 90 among PL attacking midfielders (1.11), and is only really a standout against his peers for duels won and defensive contributions per 90.

Villa's board may well have been blinded by his big moments and form from last season, rather than focusing on what he has failed to deliver in the early parts of this season as he nears 30-years-old.

Buendia seems keen to pen fresh terms at Villa

Buendia's turnaround at Villa has been praised by fans and pundits alike, with the midfielder seeming set to leave in 2025 after his low-key loan at Leverkusen.

The two-time Argentina international has already hinted at being happy to stay at Villa Park for longer than his initial contract.

Speaking after their Europa League success, he said: "There (was) that chance to leave, but I always tried to refuse everything. I wanted to stay here...I wanted to play for this club.

"If the chance never came, maybe (things would) be different, but I think until the last moment I (believed I) could play for this club and achieve good things."

Villa now look set to grant his wishes, but could end up regretting such a move if he continues to struggle this season.