Emi Buendia is one of several Aston Villa players entering the final year of his contract with the club. Back in January 2025, Buendia signed a one-year contract extension before joining Bayer Leverkusen on loan. After the Bundesliga club opted against making the move permanent, Buendia returned to Villa and enjoyed the best season of his career, helping the club lift the Europa League trophy in May. With his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2027, Dan Rolinson and Mat Kendrick discussed the possibility of another contract extension on Claret & Blue.
Key Role in Europa League Triumph
Dan Rolinson highlighted Buendia's crucial contributions, especially in the Europa League final. "Obviously, he played a key role in the season just gone, most notably in the Europa League final. Does he get a new contract? I think so," Dan said. Matt Kendrick acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, noting that sentiment has influenced the conversation. "He scored some huge goals - none bigger than the one in the final. He's not old enough to just take a year at this stage. You'd probably have to give him two years. I think he's done enough," Matt added.
Attitude and Ability Praised
Matt emphasized Buendia's attitude and ability, but also expressed caution about his starting role. "I think he's shown enough, both attitude-wise and ability-wise. This sounds harsh because football fans have such short memories, but I'd still be concerned if he was starting every week. Someone's just jumped in. I think he deserves his place in the squad next season, and we've got the Champions League to contend with, so he'll play games," Matt said.
Financial Constraints and Transfer Options
Dan discussed the financial realities facing Villa. "If Villa weren't constrained by the financial rules, you'd probably sign somebody who clearly makes Buendia a squad player. If you sign someone of a similar level - for argument's sake, Harry Wilson, although I know he's going to Leeds - you'd just have two players competing for the same role, and I'm not convinced either is a clear upgrade on the other," Dan explained. He suggested that signing a player like Marcus Rashford could push Buendia to the bench, which would be ideal if affordable.
Selling at Peak Value
Dan also considered the option of selling Buendia while his value is high. "If you sell him with one year left on his contract, his stock is probably never going to be higher after the form he's just shown. But realistically, what does somebody actually pay for him? Does Villa think it's worth it? Are you getting £30 million? £40 million? It doesn't feel realistic with one year left," he said. Matt agreed that such a fee is unlikely and pointed to other factors, such as transfer rumours surrounding Morgan Rogers. "They're very different players, but they can occupy similar areas of the pitch. So yeah, I'd give him a two-year deal with a one-year option," Matt concluded.
