Latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive brings you what is being said about a midfielder who is currently out on loan
12:30, 06 Sep 2025Updated 12:37, 06 Sep 2025
Enzo Barrenechea(Image: Getty Images)
Enzo Barrenechea could soon depart Aston Villa on a permanent transfer due to a clause inserted in the midfielder’s Benfica contract.
Villa allowed Barrenechea to join the Portuguese giants in the summer having banked an initial £2.5m in a loan fee.
But Villa could bank a further £10m due an obligation to buy the Argentina player that was a condition of his move.
Benfica have not confirmed the conditions that would trigger a permanent move but according to a report from O Jogo (via Sport Witness) he is not far away from meeting the criteria.
It is claimed the midfielder only has to play 15 times before the deal becomes concrete
The Aston Villa man has played 634 minutes from eight games in all competitions and started each fixture.
O Jogo claim Benfica are priming themselves for the deal ahead of the 2025/26 season and Villa will receive 30 per cent of the profit from any sale.
Upon joining Benfica, Barrenechea said: “It feels really good. I’m very happy, I’m proud to belong to this club.
“I’m at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, so I’m very happy,” he said. “I’m a skilled player, I’m good at two things… aerial play. I’d rather you watch me play and draw your own conclusions.
“My goals are the same as Benfica’s: to fight for everything, as Benfica’s history dictates. I want to tell the fans that I will give my all on the field and that we are counting on your support throughout the season.”
Should Villa have kept Barrenechea? Have your say HERE.
Every day, the BirminghamLive football desk strive to deliver all manner of news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Aston Villa content.
Our dedicated reporter John Townley – who you can follow on X by clicking here – follows Villa home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.
So much happens day to day and sometimes you can struggle to keep on top of the very latest updates as and when they occur – that’s why we have produced a daily newsletter which you can sign up to, for free, and which means you’ll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox. Sign up to the Villa newsletter here.
You can also get all your favourite content from BirminghamLive’s Villa team on WhatsApp. Click here to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club.
If you prefer reading our Villa stories on your phone, consider downloading the BirminghamLive app, in which you can personalise the content you see by selecting Villa as one of your designated topics. You can get it from Apple here and for Android here.
Our weekly Aston Villa podcast, Claret And Blue, is also available to watch and listen on all major streaming services. You can subscribe to the YouTube channel here, while you can access the podcast on Spotify here and via Apple here.