Aston Villa’s recruitment over the last few seasons has tended to be spot on, as highlighted by the fact that they’re pushing for Champions League football this season.
Ollie Watkins, Boubacar Kamara, and Douglas Luiz are all prime examples of exceptional scouting.
None of the above were household names before developing at Villa, and it is very rare to find the club overpaying for talent.
However, among all the hits, there is bound to be a miss or two, with one particular player failing to live up to his price tag.
Emiliano Buendia before moving to Villa
Emiliano Buendia spent his youth career and early years as a professional at Getafe in Spain, before having a loan spell at Liga 2 side Cultural Leonesa, where he made a name for himself.
The club were ultimately relegated that season, but it didn’t stop the Argentine from shining, as he netted six goals and provided 13 assists. His performances caught the eye of Norwich City, the club he went on to join straight from his loan for just over £1m.
During his first season at the Canaries, Buendia helped the side earn promotion to the Premier League, thanks to his eight goals and 12 assists over the campaign. The 27-year-old continued to be a creator in the top flight, picking up seven assists in 28 games.
However, Norwich were sent straight back to the Championship, and in the 2020/21 season, the attacking star proved that he was far too good for the league, picking up 15 goals and 16 assists.
Buendia’s time at Villa Park
Following his outstanding campaign, plenty of Premier League clubs were interested in signing the magician, but it was Villa who ultimately beat Arsenal to his signature for £35m.
However, the Argentine’s start to life at Villa Park didn’t begin with a bang, despite scoring against Brentford on his third start for the club. During his first campaign, Buendia would go on to play 35 matches, scoring four goals and registering six assists in the league, while only playing 55 minutes per game on average.
Despite this, the versatile attacker pretty much held his estimated market value from when he signed, only dropping around £3m.
June 2019 (Norwich)
£6.8M
April 2020 (Norwich)
£12.4m
June 2021 (Norwich)
£30m
June 2022 (Villa)
£27m
June 2023 (Villa)
£24m
His importance to the Villa team continued to grow in his second season, as he played every single game in the Premier League, however, his output in the final third actually decreased, with a record of five goals and just two assists. Nonetheless, Buendia still didn’t see a drastic drop in value in June 2023, as you can see from the table above.
During pre-season in the summer, the 5 foot 8 maestro was described as “unrecognisable” by football creator Ty Bracey, after his performance against Newcastle saw him score twice and provide another.
However, a cruciate ligament tear at the start of August hasn’t seen the number ten play all season, missing 35 matches. This is one of the main reasons why his estimated worth is now just £8.5m according to CIES Football Observatory.
The numbers he once displayed at Norwich are yet to be replicated at Villa, and considering the club forked out a rather hefty fee for the attacker, it is fair to say that the move has been unsuccessful so far.
But who knows? He could revive his career under Unai Emery once he’s recovered from his lengthy spell on the sidelines.
