Buendia pens Villa deal & joins Leverkusen on loan

Emi Buendia has played 19 times for Aston Villa this season

Emi Buendia has signed a contract extension with Aston Villa and will immediately join Bayer Leverkusen on loan until the end of the season.

The 28-year-old midfielder moved to Villa from Norwich in 2021 for a club-record deal worth an initial £33m.

He has made 97 appearances for the club, scoring 10 goals, and made his international debut for Argentina in February 2022.

Buendia missed the entire 2023-24 season when he sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a training session.

He made his return to the side as a substitute against Everton in September.

Bayer Leverkusen are second in the German Bundesliga, eight points behind leaders Bayern Munich.