You can already hear the ‘Buend it like Beckham’ chants echoing around the Emirates
Ok, maybe not – but either way, Arsenal are eyeing up Norwich City midfielder Emi Buendia as the solution to their attacking midfield issues.
The Gunners have long tried to fill the void left by Mesut Ozil, who, while still on Arsenal’s books, seems more at home arguing with Piers Morgan on Twitter and simultaneously acting as Gunnersaurus’ union rep.
Ozil has also been omitted from Arsenal’s 25-man Premier League squad, as his exit looks imminent.
Arsenal tried to sign Lyon playmaker Houssem Aouar in the summer, but couldn’t land the Frenchman.
They were successful in their pursuit of Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey, but the Ghanaian is more of a midfield shuttler working box-to-box than an out-and-out creator.
It’s fair to say Mikel Arteta’s side have suffered from a lack of a talismanic number 10, as they sit in 16th place in the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta’s side are currently 16th in the Premier League. (Photo: Getty)The Gunners have only scored 10 league goals all season. Only Burnley, West Brom and Sheffield United have scored fewer goals in the Premier League so far this campaign.
Arteta clearly wants the situation rectified. Strikers Alex Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are capable of easily bagging double figures, but that will only happen with the right service.
Reports in the media are now linking Arsenal with a Championship playmaker – Norwich City’s Argentinian star Emiliano ‘Emi’ Buendia.
Gunners fans might seem dismayed at the prospect of turning to the Championship to solve their midfield issues, but they needn’t be that alarmed.
Emi Buendia has all the tools capable of playing at the highest level.
The Argentine has netted 13 goals in 87 appearances for the Canaries, but more noteworthy is his creativity.
Norwich looked out of sorts last season as they suffered relegation from the Premier League, but Buendia was the real shining light.
Todd Cantwell and Teemu Pukki may have grabbed more headlines, but Buendia was the league’s fourth-highest chance creator.
Only Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne created more clear-cut chances than Buendia in last year’s Premier League.
Not bad company to be in – and he’ll probably cost a lot less than some of his European counterparts playing Champions League football.
In the Championship this year, Buendia has made more key passes than any other player. He has also created 43 chances, more than any Millwall’s Jed Wallace and Swansea’s Connor Roberts, who occupy second and third spots respectively.
