Aston Villa’s summer plans are starting to create links in both directions with Galatasaray. The Turkish club are now looking at potential business involving two of Unai Emery’s attacking players.
Villa have already been credited with interest in Gabriel Sara in recent weeks. Reports in Turkey regularly claim the Premier League side are monitoring the midfielder ahead of the summer window.
Now, according to Turkish newspaper Sabah, Galatasaray are also looking closely at Emiliano Buendía.
Eyes on Buendía
The report says Galatasaray are searching for a new No.10 ahead of next season. Dries Mertens’ role still has not really been replaced. Manager Okan Buruk wants another creative option, capable of playing centrally and across the front line.
That has reportedly pushed Buendía onto their shortlist.
The Argentine has enjoyed a productive campaign at Villa Park. He has managed 10 goals and eight assists in 50 matches this season. His versatility is also seen as a major attraction. The 29-year-old is able to operate as a central attacking midfielder, right winger or left winger.
Importantly, the report also points out Buendía has just one year remaining on his Aston Villa contract. That naturally places extra attention on his situation heading into the summer, especially with Villa expected to reshape parts of their squad again after another demanding season under Emery.
What makes this even more interesting is that Emery fought to keep Buendía only last year. Valencia pushed hard to sign him. Yet the Aston Villa manager blocked the move, because he viewed the Argentine as an important pillar for the season ahead.
Gabriel Sara angle also emerges
The interesting twist is that the same report also revisits Aston Villa’s interest in Gabriel Sara.
Galatasaray are said to value the Brazilian at around £34m (€40m), as we previously covered. This would represent a significant fee for the Turkish side.
The suggestion from Turkey is that Villa’s admiration for Sara has opened the door for discussions involving Buendía at the same time, even if the situations are currently separate.
Gabriel Sara has continued to build his reputation since leaving Norwich City. His ability to dictate tempo, carry the ball and contribute creatively has attracted attention from several clubs over the past year.
A Turkish trade-off?
For now, Sabah only describe Galatasaray as sounding out conditions for a potential move. There is no indication Aston Villa are actively negotiating a sale yet. Still, the timing stands out.
With one year left on Buendía’s contract, Villa may soon have to decide whether to renew his deal or cash in while they still can. At the same time, reports linking them with Gabriel Sara continue to grow in Turkey. So maybe a trade-off could be on the cards.
That creates an interesting crossover between the two clubs heading into the summer window.
