Aston Villa in talks to sign £35m star

One of the best stories of the 2025/26 campaign for Aston Villa was Emiliano Buendia’s redemption arc after being shipped out on loan last season.

The Argentine playmaker was sent out on loan to Bayer Leverkusen in the second half of last term because he had failed to break into Unai Emery’s Premier League plans.

He returned to Villa last summer and worked his socks off to get himself back into first-team contention, and ended the campaign with 11 goals and nine assists in all competitions.

The former Norwich City magician started 21 times in the Premier League this season, after he failed to start any of his 12 appearances in the division in the first half of the 2024/25 campaign.

Buendia also started 12 of his 15 matches in the Europa League to help the Villans to win their first European trophy since 1982, beating Freiburg last month.

Aston Villa in talks to sign Serie A attacker

The 29-year-old star played a key role in the final against the German side, with a goal and an assist, to end a 30-year wait for a major trophy for the club.

Emery, though, is now eyeing a move for a player who could arrive at Villa Park as an even better option than Buendia on the wing next season.

According to La Repubblica, as relayed by Voce Giallo Rossa, Aston Villa are pursuing a deal to bring Roma attacker Matias Soule to England in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that they have already made contact to enter into talks with the player’s representatives to guage his interest in a move and how much they would have to offer him in wages.

It adds that fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion are also keen on the left-footed forward and have also spoken to his agents about a transfer.

This update also reveals that Roma are not prepared to accept any offers that fall below the £35m mark, which means that this will not be a cheap deal to get over the line in the coming weeks.

Why Matias Soule would be even better than Emi Buendia for Aston Villa

The Villans could sign an even better talent than Buendia on the wing if they can beat Brighton to the signing of this star when the summer window opens for business later this month.

Whilst the Argentine maestro enjoyed a strong season overall for Villa, particularly in Europe, it does remain to be seen whether or not it is a false dawn, given that he only managed ten goals and three assists in the previous two seasons combined.

On top of that, Soule provided more quality for his team at the top end of the pitch than Buendia did at league level this season, whilst playing in one of Europe’s major leagues in Italy.

The 23-year-old wing wizard offered a similar threat in front of goal as a scorer, but he created almost twice as much xA and provided more than twice as many assists for his side.

This suggests that Soule, who is also from Argentina, has the ability to make an even greater impact than Buendia in the final third, which could help Villa to win even more points with his added creativity.

The £35m-rated talent has also shown more consistency with his play at the top end of the pitch in recent seasons, whilst the Villa forward failed to hit his stride until this season.

Soule racked up 16 goals and eight assists in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined for Frosinone and Roma, six more goals and five more assists than Buendia managed in those two seasons.

He seems more likely to be a star player in the Premier League who delivers goals and assists on a regular basis than the ex-Norwich man, given his form this season and in previous years, which is why he could be such a big addition to the squad this summer.

At the age of 23, Soule is also six years younger than Buendia and would be a signing for the future as well as the here and now, as he could go on to have a long career at Villa Park or be sold on for a profit if he catches the attention of other clubs.