Birmingham City plot controversial move for Aston Villa senior star
Birmingham City may look to sign a certain player from their arch-rivals Aston Villa if they are able to win promotion to the Premier League this season.
Birmingham City recently returned to the Championship after a record-breaking 2024-25 season in League One, and they are aiming to challenge for a successive promotion with a potential return to the Premier League on the horizon soon.
Chris Davies’ side made some major moves during the summer window, with Kyogo Furuhashi brought in from Rennes, Tommy Doyle captured on loan from Wolves and Demarai Gray returning to Birmingham after nine years away, among many others.
They have started the new campaign in decent form, with two wins, a draw and a loss from their first four league games, and it is clear that they are planning to challenge for a play-off place, especially with some of the recently relegated teams struggling upon their own second-tier return.
Blues’ total outlay from the summer window was around £12.4million, but that could have been more had they successful raided cross-city rivals Aston Villa, with a potential move explored for one of Unai Emery‘s stars that may be revisited next year if they are back in the top-flight.
Birmingham considered a summer approach for Emi Buendia and could try to sign him again next year
According to a new report from the Daily Mail (12 September), Aston Villa playmaker Emi Buendia was among the players considered by Birmingham in the summer as they looked to add creativity to Davies’ squad.
They state that Villa would have demanded a decent transfer fee for the Argentine, who opted to stay where he was but is expected to move on soon with less than two years left on his contract.
As well as that, some of the players that Blues courted this summer could reportedly be revisited if they are promoted at the end of this season, and so another move for the 28-year-old may materialise next summer.
Buendia should have left Villa in the summer, Birmingham had no chance but may do if they are promoted
Buendia is set to be a part of Emery’s squad for the coming season after a recent loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen, but he may well live to regret his decision to stay at the club given the recent arrivals of Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho.
Football Insider revealed on 29 August that Villa were set to sanction Buendia’s departure amid interest from Leeds United and Stuttgart, with the former being long-term admirers of his after seeing a loan approach rejected in January.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 99 | 10 | 9 |
He did not leave before the close of the window, despite that interest, but Elliott and Sancho’s arrivals mean he has been pushed down Emery’s midfield pecking order, while interest from clubs like Leeds and Stuttgart proves that Birmingham had little chance of attracting him to make such a controversial move.
That could all change next summer, with the Argentine having just one year left on his deal, but Blues would absolutely need to be back in the top-flight to have any chance of such a move, and that is certainly not out of the realm of possibility given their lofty ambitions.