Aston Villa are reportedly rekindling their interest in Chelsea's Joao Felix as they seek to address the gap left by Emiliano Buendia, who has secured a loan move to Bayer Leverkusen. Buendia, who made only his third start of the season last week, had primarily featured in the Carabao Cup prior to his recent outing. Despite Villa's narrow 1-0 defeat to Monaco in the Champions League, manager Unai Emery praised Buendia's performance.
"Buendia played a fantastic match," Emery remarked. "Of course, I am very happy with a lot of players. Today, especially with Emi Buendia, because he has the option to leave but today we needed him and he played fantastic with his qualities, fantastic mentality and fantastic with his commitment with the squad."
Emery's commendations may have served a dual purpose, showcasing Buendia's talents ahead of the January transfer window. This strategy appears to have borne fruit, as Leeds United had expressed interest in the Argentine midfielder. However, Buendia ultimately opted against a move to the Championship, agreeing instead to a loan deal with Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen. Transfer expert Florian Plettenberg reported on social media: “EXCLUSIVE | Emiliano #Buendia, now on the verge of joining Leverkusen with immediate effect! Total agreement with Aston Villa now has been reached. Verbal agreement was done. 28 y/o versatile attacking midfielder will join Leverkusen on a 6-month loan with an option to buy. Medical soon.”
Fabrizio Romano later confirmed that the buy option for Buendia is “around £20 million” and noted that the 28-year-old extended his contract with Aston Villa until 2027 prior to finalising his transfer.
With Buendia's departure, Aston Villa have swiftly turned their attention to finding a suitable replacement. Romano has indicated that the club is once again considering a move for Felix, a pursuit that initially emerged during the summer transfer window. On social media, Romano commented: “Aston Villa, one of several clubs monitoring Joao Felix's situation ahead of the final days of the window. His agent Jorge Mendes is talking to many clubs as reported last week.”
Felix, who joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid in a transfer valued at £42 million, has struggled to secure a regular starting position this season, having started only three Premier League matches. He faces stiff competition from Cole Palmer, who has emerged as a standout performer in Enzo Maresca's line-up. Reflecting on the challenges faced by both Felix and fellow teammate Christopher Nkunku, Maresca stated: "I can say that they are Chelsea players, that's for sure. The challenge for Joao and Christopher is that we predominantly field just one attacking midfielder in most matches, and the primary choice for that position has fallen on Cole Palmer. For this reason, Nkunku and Felix are gradually receiving playing time, but both are fantastic footballers."
As Aston Villa navigate this transitional period, the potential acquisition of Felix could provide a significant boost to their attacking options, particularly as they aim to build on their recent performances and maintain momentum in the league.