Why Aston Villa should move for Emiliano Buendia in January
According to The Pink’ Un (h/t Sky Sports), Aston Villa have been credited with an interest in Norwich City star Emiliano Buendia ahead of the January transfer window.
As per the report, Villa boss Dean Smith has identified the 22-year-old Argentine as someone who could improve the team’s attack in the second half of the campaign.
Buendia is not the only attacker on Villa’s radar, with Brentford star Said Benrahma still in the picture after being heavily linked with a move to Villa Park back in the summer window (The Pink’ Un h/t Sky Sports).
The 22-year-old, who made his move to Carrow Road last summer from Spanish outfit Getafe on the back of a successful loan stint at Cultural Leonesa, was one of the key driving forces behind Norwich City’s promotion-winning campaign in the Championship.
Having contributed with 8 goals and 12 assists in 38 appearances for the Canaries the last term, the Argentine U20 international has made a seamless transition to the Premier League this season.
Buendia is yet to find the net even once for the Canaries in the Premier League but he has already impressed with 4 assists in 13 appearances, including a Man of The Match performance in the surprise 3-2 victory over reigning champions Manchester City back in September.
As per whoscored, Emiliano Buendia is right up there with some of the best players in the Premier League when it comes to creativity, averaging 2.2 key passes per game.
Furthermore, the 22-year-old boasts of an impressive pass accuracy rate of 80.8%. His numbers also include an average of 2.2 tackles, 1.2 crosses, 2.8 long balls and an astonishing 3.2 dribbles per game, figures that showcase his well-rounded attributes as a playmaker.
To put things into perspective, Emiliano Buendia is still relatively new to the Premier League but it is clear from those numbers that he is more than capable of making a big impact in English football.
Aston Villa would bag a real coup if they manage to nab the Argentinian away from their survival rivals during the mid-season trading period. Currently, the Villans still find themselves languishing in the bottom half of the table after a hit-and-miss start to the campaign.
Notwithstanding the fact that the new recruits have all succeeded in making an impact to varying degrees, Aston Villa still need a lot more if they are to beat the drop in the Premier League.
Bringing in a new creative midfielder in January could hand a massive boost to Dean Smith’s overall squad dynamics.
Verdict
With Trezeguet yet to settle down and hit top gear following his summer move from Turkish outfit Kasimpasa, Jack Grealish has been forced to shoulder the bulk of the team’s creative workload
While the homegrown star has been one of the brightest sparks of Villa’s campaign along with John McGinn, the arrival of an in-form playmaker like Buendia could make a lot of difference.
To that end, it remains to be seen whether Norwich City, who are also on the same boat as Villa as far as the battle for survival is concerned, would be willing to part ways with one of their prized assets midway through the campaign.
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All in all, Emiliano Buendia to Aston Villa in January makes perfect sense and this would be quite a coup for Smith.