Villa star could leave despite performance vs. Monaco after Emery admission | OneFootball

Aston Villa were unable to overcome Monaco in the Champions League despite a decent performance, and Unai Emery has hinted at a possible transfer in the wake of a defeat which leaves his side having to win their last game – and hoping results elsewhere go for them – in order to automatically qualify for the knockout rounds.

West Ham have failed to land Jhon Duran despite making a club record bid of £57m, as Emery digs his heels in over certain players.

Villa are pushing to land Loic Bade to help their bid to surge back on the Premier League in the second half of the campaign, evidencing that the stronger the squad, the better chance the club have of ending the season in the Champions League positions once more.

Unai Emery readying himself for last-minute transfer whirlwind

Unai Emery, Manager of Aston Villa, speaks to a member of the coaching staff during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD7 training session at Bodymoor Heath. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Ever since Emery took over at the club, they’ve gone from strength to strength, albeit they could do with a handful of new faces about the place to ensure competition for places.

One player who could be on the way out of the club despite a decent personal performance against Monaco is Emi Buendia.

In the wake of that match, Emery hinted at the same.

“Of course, I am very happy with a lot of players. Today, especially with Emi Buendia,” he told reporters, including representatives from CaughtOffside.

Emi Buendia could leave Villa says Unai Emery

“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.”

There’s still time to get deals over the line, though it isn’t clear at this point how much interest there has been in the 28-year-old attacking midfielder.

If he can get the guarantees he needs regarding playing time, there’s a chance that he could stay at Villa Park, though he does appear to be down the pecking order at present.