Bayer Leverkusen appear to have dropped a big hint that Emiliano Buendia’s time at the club is over when his loan spell comes to an end.
The 28-year-old joined the Bundesliga giants in January on loan for the remainder of the season, and he went on to contribute two goals in 13 appearances.
READ MORE: Emery gets desired response as Villa man steps up with crucial display vs Bournemouth
As per Villa’s statement confirming his departure earlier this year, the Argentine playmaker penned a new contract prior to leaving in his temporary switch, while they did not confirm if there was an option to buy included in the agreement, albeit reports suggest there is one worth £17m.
It’s believed that Buendia’s Villa deal now runs until June 2027, and so it will be fascinating to see if the idea of sending him out on loan was with a view of giving him a chance to play regularly and rediscover his best fitness levels and form after a lengthy injury layoff, or if it was hoped that he’d move on permanently after a positive stint.
As seen below, Leverkusen posted a thank you message to Buendia on social media after their defeat this past weekend, with one more league game remaining in their campaign.
Naturally, there is still the possibility that they were simply bidding farewell due to his loan spell coming to an end and they may well explore the idea of signing him outright later this summer if they feel he did enough to warrant such a move.
However, it certainly looks and feels like a goodbye with Xabi Alonso departing this summer too making way for a new coach, and that would ultimately signal a return to Villa this summer, where an important decision will be needed from the club on what to do with Buendia next.
Our transfer strategy this summer is likely to hinge significantly on our ability to qualify for the Champions League again, with a decision needed on both Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio in terms of whether or not to sign them permanently after arriving on loan in January.
Exits are also expected to balance our books and create space for new signings, but Buendia would still face plenty of competition for places from the likes of Morgan Rogers, Jacob Ramsey, Donyell Malen and others.
In turn, it remains to be seen if Villa are able to shift the Argentine ace again ahead of next season, be it on loan or outright, or if he’s reintegrated into the squad and given a fresh chance to show his worth with Unai Emery continuing to need a strong squad with depth to compete on multiple fronts as we know we’ll be competing in one of the European competitions for a third consecutive campaign.
Thanks for your time in ⚫️🔴 @NordiMukiele & @EM10Buendia! 🫶#B04BVB pic.twitter.com/4u6nLr8cb9
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) May 11, 2025
