The 19-year-old right-back joined the Bundesliga outfit in the January transfer window on loan for the second half of the season, and he went on to make 11 appearances.
_**READ MORE: [Villa talent paired with permanent exit as transfer talks ongoing](https://talk-villa.com/aston-villa-transfer-news-louie-barry-hull-city-talks-permanent-move/)**_
While it had been hoped that Villa saw it as a temporary solution to allow Nedeljkovic a chance to gain valuable experience and to develop his game through regular playing time at a high level, the insertion of an option to buy clause in the loan agreement cast doubt over his future with us.
Although he was limited to just 10 appearances last season after his arrival from Red Star Belgrade, he showed a lot of talent and potential for such a young player, but evidently he struggled to convince Unai Emery that he could be a long-term solution at right-back.
According to [Sky Sport Germany’s Philipp Hinze](https://x.com/philipphinze24/status/1938627756473946203), Villa and Leipzig are now in talks over the Serbian international in relation to a permanent transfer. However, he adds that although the purchase option is still active until the end of the month in a deal worth €10.5m + €4.5m in add-ons, Leipzig are said to want to negotiate down the price or change the payment structure, but they are keen to keep him.
It remains to be seen if a compromise can be reached to push a deal through, or if Villa ultimately decide to walk away from negotiations to seek an alternative option, but there should be a conclusion in the coming days to provide clarity on Nedeljkovic’s future.
As noted above, it would be a shame to see the talented defender leave without really getting a run in the side to prove himself, as he’s still young, continuing to improve and has shown a lot of raw talent particularly with his attacking qualities.
Given our signing of Andres Garcia in January though and the ongoing presence of Matty Cash in the position, Nedeljkovic’s chances of securing a prominent role at Villa regardless of the fact that we’ll be competing across four fronts again next season, would seem to make a permanent exit a more sensible option for all concerned, unless something changes with those ahead of him in the pecking order.
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