Aston Villa’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur right before the international break offered a massive sigh of relief for Unai Emery’s side. Among the standout heroes in North London was Emiliano Buendía, whose brilliant long-range strike capped off a thrilling team performance.
Fresh off scoring in Villa’s historic Europa League final victory against Freiburg and registering 11 goals and nine assists across 54 appearances last season, Buendía has firmly revived his career in claret and blue.
Naturally, that resurgence has prompted the club’s hierarchy to open contract talks with the 29-year-old playmaker, whose current deal runs until June 2027 (with an automatic 12-month extension option).
However, beneath the warm glow of his recent goal against Spurs and his undeniable sentimental value, a deep-dive into the early-season data suggests that handing Buendía a lucrative, long-term extension could be a massive, multi-million-pound mistake.
What the Early-Season Data Reveals
While supporters remember the big moments, cold statistics paint a surprisingly concerning picture of Buendía’s output in the Premier League so far this campaign.
Despite starting regularly under Unai Emery, his offensive metrics rank alarmingly low compared to his positional peers across the league:
- Shots on Target: Buendía averages just 0.45 shots on target per 90 minutes, placing him down in the 33rd percentile for attacking midfielders.
- Expected Assists (xA): Generating a paltry 0.05 expected assists per 90, he sits firmly in the bottom 22% of the Premier League.
- Chances Created: He ranks in the 32nd percentile for chances created per 90 minutes (1.11).
- Passing and Movement: His struggles extend to ball progression, managing a modest 75.7% successful pass percentage and just 4.46 line-breaking passes, alongside an uninspiring 0.89 successful dribbles per 90.
- Work Rate Metrics: He also ranks in the bottom 11% for sprinting, managing only 8.47 sprints per 90 minutes.
Outside of his defensive contributions and duels won—areas where the Argentine never shies away from physical graft—Buendía has largely flattered to deceive in open play. His stunning strike against Tottenham was actually his very first Premier League goal contribution of the new season.
Falling Into the Sentiment Trap?
Critics are beginning to wonder if Aston Villa’s board is being blinded by past heroics rather than evaluating future projections.
Buendía’s redemption arc has been one of the feel-good stories at Villa Park. After a quiet loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen looked to have signaled the end of his time in England back in 2025, he fought his way back into Emery’s plans. Following the Europa League triumph, Buendía made his stance clear: “I wanted to stay here… I wanted to play for this club.”
Fans adore his passion and loyalty. But as Buendía rapidly approaches his 30th birthday, committing substantial, long-term wages to a player whose underlying creative metrics are sharply declining is a perilous gamble.
If the front office rewards him with a bumper new deal based on sentimental value and isolated highlight-reel moments rather than consistent, week-in, week-out production, the club could easily find itself regretting the decision when trying to balance future squad building.
The Verdict: A High-Stakes Decision for Villa’s Board
Unai Emery demands relentless perfection, and his squad must perform at an elite level to compete on multiple fronts, including the Premier League, Carabao Cup, and Champions League.
While Buendía remains a valuable, versatile squad option who can deliver magic in crunch moments, tying him down to an expensive, long-term extension right now might be jumping the gun. The board would be wise to let the season play out and see if his underlying numbers catch up to his reputation before opening the vault.
Do you think Aston Villa should rush to reward Emiliano Buendía with a new contract, or should the club wait to see if his statistical output improves over the course of the season?
