Aston Villa Plan Four New Deals, One For A Man Out Until Spring: Smart Or Risky?

Aston Villa Plan Four New Deals, One For A Man Out Until Spring: Smart Or Risky? Aston Villa are preparing to tie four senior players to new contracts, according to the Telegraph, via BBC , with left-back Ian Maatsen, playmaker Emiliano Buendia and midfielders Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley all set to sign. Maatsen has already finished his. Villa confirmed on Wednesday that the Dutchman signed until 2032, two years beyond his previous deal. The club chose the November international break to settle the matter. Victor Lindelof committed to 2028 on Tuesday, teenager George Hemmings has reportedly agreed terms, and Villa have rebuilt a side that lost six starters from last season’s Europa League final. Lucas Digne’s move to Paris Saint-Germain left Maatsen as the undisputed left-back, and Manchester United’s summer interest showed Villa what waiting could cost. Results add urgency. Villa sit tenth after a 4-4 draw at Old Trafford, where they led 2-0 and 4-2 before Patrick Dorgu equalised in stoppage time. Unai Emery’s side have not won since beating Manchester City on 24 October, a run that includes a 3-0 defeat at Barcelona in the Champions League, yet they remain unbeaten in six league games. What each player offers Maatsen, 24, suits Emery’s high full-backs and has played in seven of ten league games despite a September ankle injury. After two seasons competing with Digne, he must still prove he can defend consistently in big fixtures. Buendia, 29, scored in the Europa League final and gives Emery a creative option between the lines, but his output has been uneven. He managed six league goals and two assists last season, then went seven league games without either. His contract expires next summer. Barkley, 32, has scored three Champions League goals in the first four matches and carries the ball well alongside Boubacar Kamara. His age and expiring deal make him the hardest of the four to judge. Onana, 25, brings height and defensive cover, yet he tore his ACL against the United States at the World Cup in July and looks unlikely to return before late April. Villa signed him from Everton for £50million in 2024, and his deal already runs to 2029. Are Aston Villa right to back this group with new deals? MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 08: Unai Emery, Manager of Aston Villa, walks towards the tunnel before the final whistle during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester United and Aston Villa FC at Old Trafford on November 08, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) Mostly, but not on equal terms. Maatsen was the easy call. Digne has gone, United sniffed around in the summer, and a 24-year-old left-back tied to 2032 gives Villa both a starter and a resale asset that could outstrip the £37.5million they paid Chelsea. Onana is the bolder gamble. Villa hold him until 2029 anyway, so extending a midfielder who misses most of the season is generosity rather than necessity. Waiting to see how the knee responds would cost nothing. Buendia and Barkley pose the real risk. Both expire next summer, which means overseas clubs could offer pre-contracts from January, and that explains the speed. Yet at 29 and 32, neither deserves more than two years. Johan Manzambi is already pushing Buendia, and Villa’s tight squad cost position makes long wages for ageing midfielders the one error Emery cannot afford. Rewarding Maatsen costs Villa little, while rewarding two players heading past 30 is where their discipline gets tested.