Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Thu 21 May 2026 9:15, UK

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Emiliano Buendia scored and assisted as Aston Villa beat SC Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday, but he could have been somewhere else completely.

The midfielder returned to Villa Park last summer after a loan spell with Bayer Leverkusen, where he had barely played.

The Argentinian was still recovering from the ACL tear that kept him out of the entirety of the 2023-24 season, and there was a broad expectation that Villa would let him go.

But Unai Emery decided to keep Buendia at the club, and that choice has been rewarded time and time again since.

The 29-year-old’s role in Villa’s Europa League glory, both in Istanbul and throughout the tournament, has underlined his importance yet again.

Emi Buendia’s dazzling Europa League campaign

Football Insider exclusively revealed in April that Villa are set to discuss a new contract with Buendia this summer, with his current deal set to expire in 2027.

It is richly deserved for the Argentine, who scored his 11th goal of the season when he curled in a stunning strike from range to put his team into a commanding lead.

It was then his turn to take part in his teammate’s goal, sliding the ball across the box for Morgan Rogers to poke home.

But Buendia has not just shown up in the Europa League final, he has been superb throughout the tournament.

Wednesday’s contributions were his ninth and 10th, with seven of them coming after the group stage.

Buendia assisted Villa’s only goal in the first leg against Lille in the last 16, he contributed in both legs of the quarter-finals against Bologna, and he also scored and assisted against Nottingham Forest.

Simply put, the Villans may well not be celebrating Europa League glory had Emery not decided to keep the 29-year-old around.

Buendia full value for new contract

With Buendia’s contract set to expire in 2027, Villa will be forced to take action this summer or risk losing him on a free transfer next year.

The decision on the 29-year-old appears to be an easy one. He has been excellent this season and has emerged as a crucial part of Emery’s team.

Premier League sides will already be circling in the event that Buendia decides to leave, but there is little chance of that.

The Argentine was just as delighted as the rest of his teammates with Wednesday’s result, and he will undoubtedly put pen to paper in the coming weeks.