Leeds United move for Aston Villa’s Emi Buendia back on after unexpected Unai Emery decision

All year long, Leeds United has shown interest in Emi Buendia, and it now appears that Daniel Farke may still be able to acquire his man.

Daniel Farke and Emi Buendia have been friends since their days at Norwich City. Buendia excelled in the Championship at Carrow Road, which led to his £33 million transfer to Aston Villa in 2021.

Farke then attempted to sign Buendia on loan from Aston Villa at the beginning of the season. The Argentine joined Bayer Leverkusen after losing favor at Villa Park. However, Leverkusen declined the opportunity to sign Buendia heading into this summer.

Following their promotion, Leeds United’s ties to Buendia were rekindled. Surprisingly, though, Buendia has returned to the starting lineup for Aston Villa.

After the 28-year-old’s stellar preseason, Leeds United appeared to quickly shift their focus elsewhere. Buendia may still be on Farke’s radar, and the door may have just opened for the Whites, as a new number 10 is still considered a crucial acquisition before the deadline of September 3.

Emi Buendia, a Leeds United transfer target, was not utilized in the Aston Villa opening.

The most recent information on Buendia’s status at Aston Villa was provided by transfer specialist Graham Bailey in an interview with Leeds United News. Bailey clarified that although Buendia has been reintegrated into Unai Emery’s plans, he is likely to return to the transfer market before the last week of the window if he does not appear in the season’s first two Premier League games.

“The no. 10 position is fascinating,” Bailey stated. There are still a lot of them accessible. Buendia is liked by Leeds, but according to Villa sources, he is putting himself back in the running there. However, he returns to the window if the season begins and he misses the first two games.

Additionally, Buendia did not start or appear in any of Aston Villa’s games during the weekend’s Premier League opening against Newcastle United. As Villa and Newcastle drew 0-0 at home, Buendia was not utilized as a substitute. In the meantime, Leeds United secured their first-day victory on Monday night by defeating Everton 1-0.

Emi Buendia’s outstanding preseason performance at Aston Villa

Unai Emery decided to keep Buendia on the bench even though Aston Villa was unable to score against Newcastle over the weekend. It was an unexpected choice, especially considering that Buendia is a Premier League player and that the Argentinean international was a vital member of the Villans’ preseason squad.

In his six appearances, Buendia recorded two goals and one assist. It follows a passably good Bundesliga loan stint with Leverkusen. Buendia made 11 appearances in the Bundesliga in the second half of the previous season, scoring twice, despite being utilized as a rotating player by Xabi Alonso.

	Games	Goals	Assists
Buendia in pre-season	6	2	1

However, Buendia’s preseason performance might have prepared Villa for a major player sale in Buendia this summer. Villa will likely want to recoup the majority of their investment in the player, and his strong preseason will only have contributed to his sale.

Leeds, on the other hand, are still in dire need of attacking additions, and Farke knows Buendia, whom he has long desired to recruit, so he might be the big-name acquisition to round off their summer transfer season.

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