Emiliano Buendía is 29 and his current Aston Villa deal is due to expire next summer, but the club are now pushing to give him a new contract. Villa want a two-and-a-half-year extension that would keep him until summer 2029. Just over a year ago, he looked far more likely to move on than stay.
Emery's change in view
Unai Emery's view of Buendia has changed with the player's form. Speaking to teamtalk.com, Emery said: "When he was on loan in Germany, with Bayer Leverkusen, he didn’t achieve his confidence. He didn’t achieve minutes. He didn’t achieve numbers to recover himself, like a player he is."
That loan spell came in the second half of the season, and Emery has since described this year as "completely different." He added: "He started so focused. He started the season very demanding, getting fit, feeling confident, playing with his skills, showing in each match he played in pre-season."
The numbers fit the shift. Buendia has made 7 Premier League appearances this season and logged 549 minutes, which is a decent workload for someone who was expected to be on the fringes. His league rating is 6.54, while his Champions League rating is 7.5, and he has already scored once in the competition.
Villa's contract move
Emery also made clear that the club believed in him when they kept him. "When we decided to keep him here, and he decided to stay here as well, I was confident he could get the numbers he is achieving," he said.
Buendia registered 10 goals and eight assists last season, and he has already shown he can still matter in big moments, including Villa's recent 3-2 victory at Tottenham. Leeds retain their long-term interest, while clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia continue to monitor his situation, but Villa are the side driving the next move.
The key point is simple enough. Buendia went into this spell with an exit looking plausible, and Villa are now ready to reward the same player with a deal through 2029.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
