Leeds United manager Daniel Farke says that Emiliano Buendia is a player who he 'really rates' - but he wouldn't drawn on the immediate future of the Aston Villa playmaker during this January transfer window. Farke worked with Buendia during their days together at Norwich City and he helped mould the player who would eventually cost Villa £33m in the summer of 2021.

Buendia, in the summer of 2023, suffered a season-ending knee injury before the campaign had even begun, in pre-season. It kept him out for a little over 12 months, but although he has returned to the match-day squad under Unai Emery this season, his minutes have been very limited. That has led to speculation that Buendia may leave the club this month on a loan basis.

Argentine Buendia, who has clocked up 95 appearances for Villa in his three and a half years at the club, has found the attacking competition tricky to overcome; Villa and Emery already had Leon Bailey and academy product Jacob Ramsey to help operate in the attacking areas, but they added Morgan Rogers 12 months ago and, despite selling Moussa Diaby, they have signed Donyell Malen this month.

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Buendia may feel as though, in order to secure more regular minutes, he needs to leave before the 3 February deadline. Farke, who led Buendia and Norwich to the Championship title in 2019 and 2021, is currently at the top of the Championship table again with Leeds. He was coy on Buendia's situation but didn't hide his admiration for the player.

"I never comment on players under contract for other teams because I wouldn't expect any other manager to make comments about my players," Farke told LeedsLive. "We only speak about transfer business once business is done.

"I have read the comments because I'm interested in football and the Premier League. Obviously I have worked with Buendia, he was one of my best players at Norwich. I really rate him, but I don't comment on a player who right now is playing at a different side."

Emery, meanwhile, recently confirmed that he wouldn't stand in Buendia's way if he sought to leave Villa in this window. He has made just 17 senior appearances this season, and his only starts have come in the EFL Cup at Wycombe Wanderers - where he scored - and against Crystal Palace in the following round.

"Always we are trying to improve the team," Emery said. "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 didn’t 100 per cent in the season until now, but now he is playing more minutes and helping the team. 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 he wanted to depart, Emery replied: "Of course, playing more minutes, he can feel better."

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