Huge Leeds United boost as Emi Buendia Aston Villa exit given green light after £20m deal — YEP 18/1/25

By Kyle Newbould

Leeds United hold a long-standing interest in Aston Villa midfielder Emi Buendia.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery admits Leeds United summer target Emi Buendia could leave this month in search of more regular football.

Buendia was one of several summer transfer targets at Leeds, with manager Daniel Farke clear in his desire for a creative No.10. The pair worked wonders together at Norwich City, twice winning the Championship title together before the Argentinian’s £33million move to Villa Park in 2021.

But minutes have been hard to come by for Buendia, particularly this season. He missed the entire previous campaign with a serious knee injury and has slowly been working back to full fitness, but with competition rife the 28-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game this term, with 11 appearances totalling just 80 minutes.

Villa have also recently confirmed the £20m signing of Borussia Dortmund forward Donyell Malen, a move which will only push Buendia further down the pecking order. That could prove the catalyst for a move away and head coach Emery has suggested that could happen this month.

"Always we are trying to improve the team," Emery told the Birmingham Mail when asked about Buendia's future in Friday's press conference. "The players who are here with us, always we are supporting them. He had last year a long injury but he started this year progressively getting better.

"He wasn’t 100 per cent in the season until now. But now he is playing more minutes and helping the team. But maybe he can have the possibility to leave. For him, it could be something where he can play more, get more minutes, get confidence again and being comfortable playing again in the starting XI. Of course, now he is helping us and I am happy with his attitude."

Asked if Villa wouldn't stand in his way if Buendia asked to leave, Emery replied: "Of course, playing more minutes, he can feel better."

Leeds have long maintained they expect a quiet month but No.10 was a position they wanted over summer and one they didn’t get. CEO Angus Kinnear singled out that particular failure as the only real blot on an otherwise satisfactory window, and links have not gone away in the months since.

Farke also expects a quiet January but regularly insists those in charge of recruitment will ‘stay awake’ in case the right opportunity arises. There may need to be work on defensive reinforcements if Pascal Struijk’s injury proves to involve the tendon on his hamstring, but the availability of a top summer target might also pique the interest of club chiefs.

It remains to be seen whether that summer interest will be reignited, or even if Buendia would be open to a Championship return - something that was thought to be a barrier initially. A game-changing player of his quality might also attract Premier League interest, but Farke’s past relationship and the positive momentum Leeds have might also move the needle in their favour.