£15m bid, Aston Villa stance - Emi Buendia Leeds United transfer verdict after fresh twist
Emi Buendia has been linked with a move to Leeds United before the end of the January transfer window. The Argentine is set to leave Aston Villa on loan this month after struggling for regular game time.
Buendia, 28, missed the entire 2023/24 campaign with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury and returned to action in the summer. He has not since started a single Premier League match, however, clocking just 71 minutes of top-flight football this season.
On Tuesday night, he started in the Champions League against Monaco. A call that came as a surprise from Unai Emery.
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The former Norwich City midfielder has been a little more prominent in other competitions, having started both of their Carabao Cup fixtures before exiting at home to Crystal Palace. In total, Buendia has played less than 500 minutes across 18 matches for Villa this term.
Emery admitted on Saturday that the club were open loaning him out for the remainder of the campaign and Leeds are said to be among those interested in securing his services. A move to Elland Road would see Buendia reunite with Daniel Farke after they worked together at Norwich.
Here, our Leeds Live writers dissect whether Buendia to Leeds would be a good move for the Whites as they bid to return to the Premier League at the second attempt...
Kieran King
For me, it's a move that makes sense for Leeds. When watching Farke's side this season, it's clear to me that they miss Georginio Rutter's guile and creativity in that No.10 position. Yes, Brenden Aaronson has done well when called upon, but I do feel like they are lacking something in that area of the pitch.
And Buendia, with his experience in the Championship and relationship with Farke, could bring something different and an extra ounce of quality to the Leeds set-up. I think he would be an excellent addition and might be the difference between finishing in the play-offs or the automatic places.
A creative attacking midfielder, Buendia's ability to play the ball through the lines and make key passes stand out. As well as his offensive output, Buendia's defensive contribution is also impressive.
Amie Wilson
The availability of Emi Buendia is one that should alert Leeds United, with a move making total sense for the club. The difference between finishing in the play-offs and the automatic promotion places could be that extra bit of quality in the squad, and that is something that Buendia would bring.
Injuries have probably held him back at Villa, but he has previously proven that he can be one of the best players in the Championship. The added bonus for Leeds is that he has worked closely under Daniel Farke before, meaning the manager should know how to get the best out of him.
The sales of Crycensio Summerville and Georginio Rutter in the summer would have impacted any team. While Aaronson has done pretty well this season, having more options is never a bad thing.
The signing of Buendia would be a clever one by Leeds, and one that could just make the difference for the team.
Tom Coley
This would be an ideal piece of business for Leeds. As a creative hub - even one without too much recent game time - Buendia would offer plenty for Farke to work with.
He is not only more than qualified to get them out of the Championship but is already a Premier League level player. It might take him a bit to get back up to speed fully but there is no doubt that he has serious talent.
Buendia is still a good age to offer both short and longer-term answers for Leeds and if a deal is there to be done then it's definitely worth exploring. An offer of over £15million this window would surely be enough to tempt Villa.