Emi Buendia's future uncertain despite what Unai Emery now thinks of the Aston Villa ace
Unai Emery has always striven to get the best out of Emiliano Buendia at Villa
Buendia is someone who has faced a lot of competition at Villa to be afforded minutes.
This came to a head in January last season when Buendia was loaned to Bayer Leverkusen for the rest of the season. This move to the Bundesliga side provided the midfielder with first-team opportunities upon his return from injury.
He returned to Emery's side this summer in the hopes of proving himself at Villa. But Buendia could have already had his final hurrah for the Villans, with questions now surrounding his future.
Unai Emery values Emi Buendia, but he could still leave
Buendia has been tipped to start over Morgan Rogers after an impressive pre-season with the Villans.
The midfielder looked like another player as he ran circles in the attacking midfield against numerous opponents.
- The attacking midfielder accumulated 334 minutes across all six of Villa's pre-season fixtures
- This is over three times more the minutes he saw in the Premier League last season
According to The Athletic on Friday, 22 August, Buendia was a player Villa wanted to move on this window. But after an impressive pre-season, Emery sees value in him.
However, the Argentinian remained on the bench during Villa's disappointing draw to Newcastle last weekend. As such, how much Emery values the player can be put under the microscope.
As such, it is understood that while Buendia is keen to stay, his future will remain uncertain until the window closes on the evening of Monday, 1 September.
Aston Villa to secure Emi Buendia upgrade?
It is no secret that Villa are interested in signing Marco Asensio on a permanent deal this summer.
The Spaniard arrived on loan at Villa Park around the same time Buendia transferred to Leverkusen.
In 76 fewer games for the Villans, Asensio widely closed the gap on Buendia's all-time tally for Emery's side. In 21 appearances, he netted eight goals and provided 1 assist in all competitions.
Meanwhile, the current Villa player has netted 10 and provided 9 assists in all competitions. Providing Asensio arrives at Villa Park and remains fit all season, he likely eclipses his tally this period.
As a result, the Villans could have already decided Buendia's fate this summer as one synonymous with Asensio's potential arrival.
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