Why Aston Villa should go all out for Emiliano Buendia to improve creativity
According to the Daily Mail, Norwich City have opened the door for in-demand attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia to seek an exit this summer. The Canaries are looking to cash in on some of their prized assets and Buendia is among those who could be sacrificed.
Back in August, a report from The Sun via HITC (h/t Birmingham Mail) claimed that Aston Villa were among the Premier League clubs interested in offering the Argentine creative maestro an escape route to stay in the top-flight following the Canaries relegation at the end of last season.
Premier League newcomers Leeds United have also been linked with a move for the 23-year-old, who was one of the breakthrough stars in the top-flight last term. (h/t The Independent)
Profile
Emiliano Buendia had a brief stint in the youth ranks of Real Madrid before completing his development at Getafe. He initially featured for the club’s reserve side in the third tier before making his La Liga debut during the 2014-15 season.
However, the Argentine midfielder struggled to establish himself as a regular fixture at Getafe and joined Norwich City in the summer of 2018 after impressing on loan at Cultural Leonesa in the Spanish second-tier.
The 23-year-old bagged 8 goals and 12 assists during the 2018-19 season as the Canaries secured promotion to the PL as the outright winners of the Championship.
Buendia was one of the brightest sparks in an otherwise disappointing 2019-20 campaign for Daniel Farke’s side that ultimately ended in relegation from the top-flight. The diminutive playmaker impressed with a goal and 7 assists in 36 PL appearances.
Buendia would bolster Villa’s creative firepower
Aston Villa scored only 41 goals en route to their 17th-place finish in the Premier League last season, which was one of the worst scoring records in the entire division. Hence, it goes without saying that Dean Smith needs to bring in some attacking reinforcements before the summer deadline to ensure a smoother sail in the top-flight next term.
The arrival of Ollie Watkins on a club-record deal from Brentford undoubtedly comes as a massive boost to the club’s goalscoring firepower, with Wesley Moraes still injured. However, the Villans also need to consider improving the quality of their supply lines, given that the team’s lack of creativity was quite frustrating at times in the previous campaign.
Jack Grealish was the creator-in-chief with 8 goals and 6 assists in the PL last term. But the Villa skipper didn’t really get the desired support from his teammates. Hence, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Smith to invest in a new attacking midfielder this summer.
And, Emiliano Buendia would be an instant upgrade on Villa’s creative options if his numbers in the PL last season are anything to go by. The Argentine genius carved out as many as 9 big chances, more than Anwar El Ghazi (4) and Trezeguet (0).
Those numbers prove that Buendia fared way better as compared to some of Villa’s creative players despite playing in the worst-attacking team in the PL last term. Hence, his potential acquisition would provide a huge boost to Villa.
Read more
- Why Aston Villa should keep hold of Wesley Moraes amid interest
- Why Aston Villa should make a move for in-form finisher Odsonne Edouard
Verdict
Emiliano Buendia proved that he is more than capable of thriving in the Premier League with his exploits last season. And, at 23, he still has his best years ahead of him. That coupled with his versatility to play out wide on either flank and through the centre makes him a lucrative option for Aston Villa in the summer market.
