Aston Villa are busy talking about a new contract for Emiliano Buendia, but they should be looking to trigger Ross Barkley's contract option without delay. Unai Emery's men won again in the Champions League on Wednesday night, defeating Viking 3-1 with a professional home display.

Villa dominated the first half, and while Viking rallied back in the second half and even grabbed a goal, it was still a comfortable win overall. Buendia was excellent, and it's no wonder Villa want to tie him down to a new deal. He was a constant threat in and around the box, and he is linking up play seamlessly in the midfield. Buendia scored from the spot and could have scored more on another day, earning the TNT Sports Player of the Match by head and shoulders.

There have been various reports claiming Buendia is about to pen a new Villa deal, and it should come as no surprise.

"I always show how much I am happy here. I am pleased about tonight and we will see what will happen in the future." - Buendia on a possible new Villa contract after the Viking win.

But there is another contract matter Villa need to pay attention to, and they should avoid delaying much further. Barkley is out of contract at the end of the season, and Villa have a year extension option built into the deal, but they will likely check that the midfielder is up for staying before activating it.

Barkley is now 32 years of age, and on one hand, one can understand Villa's patient approach, given the midfielder is late in his career and naturally more prone to injuries and a loss of pace. But Barkley can hardly do any more to earn a new contract than what he is doing.

The veteran midfielder was pivotal in last week's win over Fenerbahce last week, and he was just as important in the win over Viking, even scoring the opener. His know-how in the midfield is invaluable, and even if he doesn't play as regularly next season, his leadership and that know-how is going to remain valuable for another year.

Barkley's stats vs Viking

• Goals: 1
• Pass success: 95%
• Clearances: 3
• Unsuccessful touches: 0
• Dispossessed: 0
• WhoScored rating: 7.7

He is still playing superbly in the midfield, still trusted by Emery to be an anchor for his more creative stars, to keep everything ticking over, and that trust is unlikely to wane by the end of the season.

Barkley is a low-risk contract move. The worst case is Barkley barely plays and makes an impact as a leader and mentor to younger midfielders at the club on a relatively cheap contract. The best case, he produces another season like the one he is currently producing, and if he does that, it will be an all-time bargain for Emery and Villa.