Aston Villa's Kosta Nedeljković looks set to stay at RB Leipzig as the German side look to trigger his buy out clause
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Updated 13:50, 18 Mar 2025
Aston Villa's Kosta Nedeljkovic
Aston Villa's Kosta Nedeljkovic(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Aston Villa could bag £13 million for Kosta Nedeljković despite him playing only ten games under Unai Emery.
The Serbian international was brought into Villa Park for around £6 million in January last year, but was immediately loaned back out to Red Star Belgrade - the club he came from.
Arriving back in England in June, the right back turned right midfielder failed to find his place under Emery.
With the pressure of big games in the Champions League and Premier League Emery favoured more experienced players like Matty Cash and Ezri Konsa, while Axel Disasi arrived on loan from Chelsea.
In January the 19-year-old was once again sent out on loan, this time to RB Leipzig in Germany. Reportedly taking a pay-cut to join the East German side, the defender has once again struggled for minutes having come off the bench in just three league games, clocking just 36 minutes.
Despite the lack of time on the grass, Sky Germany journalist Philipp Hinze, via Sport Witness, is reporting that there is a "clear trend" in the club's movements to make the loan permanent and trigger the club's £13 million transfer option. Hinze added that Leipzig are happy to pay the fee as they become in control of the players' development.
This is seconded after manager Marco Rose revealed in a press conference he is a fan of the full back's ability. He said: “[He] gives Leipzig things that we were still looking for in the squad, rock-solid, technically good, hard-working and fighting full-back with great speed who still has great potential for development and yes, I would trust myself to actually throw the boy in from the start.
“We are in the middle of a change that we have been initiating for two years. Kosta is part of it, the boy will be good."
The £13 million fee would be a good deal for Villa with the player valued at nearly half that on TransferMarkt. It would also give the club a cash injection that could go towards making Disasi's loan permanent with Chelsea reportedly keen on selling him.
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