Aston Villa’s window of opportunity for Geny Catamo casts doubt on Emi Buendia’s future
Emi Buendia still faces an uphill battle of consistently getting into Aston Villa’s starting line-ups.
Unai Emery has turned things around for Villa and has the Villans as high as third in the Premier League.
The Spaniard has chopped and changed his starting eleven on multiple occasions this season, handing game time to fringe players in the Europa League and cup competitions.
Buendia has enjoyed a return to form this season after overcoming injury setbacks on B6, but the Argentine is still struggling to cement his place in Emery’s starting line-ups, despite positive performances.
Aston Villa‘s tracking of Sporting CP’s Geny Catamo only adds to the uncertainty around Buendia‘s future at Villa Park.
Aston Villa can sign Geny Catamo for £17m in 2026
NSWE are aware of financial constraints, and if the Villans want to spend money in the future, sales may need to be sanctioned.
Emery has a list of players whom he could sell this month, as Aston Villa are now in the process of narrowing down potential incomings.
However, the Villans may have a long-term plan to sign Catamo.
- Catamo helped Mozambique into the Africa Cup of Nations’ knockout stages recently
- He registered three goal contributions in four games for his country
- Catamo has started just 10 times for Sporting CP in the league this season
As reported by Portuguese outlet A Bola, there is a high chance that Catamo will leave Sporting CP in 2026 for £17.3million due to a stalemate over a contract renewal.
They have suggested that Aston Villa were interested in the winger last summer, and may be one of the clubs that come back in for the 24-year-old this year.
However, there’s no reason why Villa couldn’t test the waters with an offer this window, especially given the current issues over a contract agreement.
Catamo can play on either wing and could be a direct replacement for Buendia.
Emi Buendia vs Catamo stats comparison
Buendia possesses high-quality shooting ability and has the skill to flip a game on its head.
Emery has used the attacker off the bench in multiple games. Bunedia’s goal in his three-minute cameo against Arsenal back in December showed the forward’s importance, scoring the winning goal for Villa.
However, Catamo has other qualities that Buendia can’t give Emery.
| Player | Dribbles per 90 | Shots on target per 90 |
| Emi Buendia | 0.59 | 0.47 |
| Geny Catamo | 2.05 | 1.16 |
As highlighted, Catamo’s main advantage over Buendia is his ability to take a man on successfully, but the right-winger also has a better conversion rate in terms of hitting the target.
It’s one transfer story to keep an eye on, as Villa’s interest in a new forward this month is well and truly prevalent.
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