Aston Villa have been transformed since the arrival of Unai Emery in October 2022, a change of managerial personnel that has impacted far more than just the quality on the pitch.
The Spaniard has begun life on his return to the Premier League in contrast to how he ended his last spell, when he was dismissed by Arsenal after 18 months at a time when the Gunners hadn’t won in their previous seven games.
In the Midlands, the 51-year-old has quickly become a hero at Villa Park, with only treble-winner Pep Guardiola picking up more Premier League points than Emery in 2023.
From being in 16th place when the former Villarreal boss took over, to gaining entry into the Europa Conference League by the end of the 2022/23 campaign, things are on the up at Villa, with proceedings only made stronger in the summer transfer window.
Five new arrivals strengthened the squad that Emery has at his disposal, with the hope that the signings will adapt to life at Villa Park quickly and succeed in areas that others from previous windows may not have.
It’s a recurring theme for players new to the Premier League to struggle to adapt to the demands of the game in the English top-tier, with one notable player in Emiliano Buendia at Villa still finding his feet two years after his arrival, despite having past experience.
How much did Aston Villa sign Emiliano Buendia for?
Buendia was signed in 2021 from Norwich City by Dean Smith, as Villa saw off competition from Arsenal to pen him down to a five-year deal worth in the region of £38m.
The Argentine became the club’s record signing at the time of his move to Villa Park, with excitement around his arrival paramount after his impressive displays in the Championship the season prior.
It was a successful piece of business for all parties back in 2021, when the Villans obtained an attacker in a rich vein of form, and Buendia saw his salary rocket in the process.
Aston Villa five most expensive transfers
Player
Club
Fee
Year
Moussa Diaby
Bayer Leverkusen
£51.9m
2023
Emiliano Buendia
Norwich City
£35m
2021
Pau Torres
Villarreal
£35m
2023
Ollie Watkins
Brentford
£30m
2020
Leon Bailey
Bayer Leverkusen
£28m
2021
Figures via Football Transfers
The versatile forward allegedly receives a weekly wage of £75k from the Midlands side, equating to £3.9m a year, a boost on his £1.3m salary at Carrow Road.
Like any signing, at the time of his move, all expenses seemed worthwhile when revising the calibre of player they had added to their ranks and the glory he could bring to the club.
Why did Buendia cost that much?
Signed on the back of a campaign that earned him the award of Championship Player of the Season, Buendia’s form had made him an in-demand figure in the summer of 2021.
Alongside Villa, Arsenal were rumoured to be interested in capturing the Argentine’s signature, however, it was claret and blue that the 24-year-old was sporting at the end of the window.
In the 2020/21 season, Buendia fired the Canaries to Premier League promotion, scoring 15 goals and registering a mammoth 17 assists in 39 Championship appearances.
Recording 32 goal contributions in any domestic league season is impressive, particularly if it guides one's team to compete in arguably the best league in the world.
Deployable in most areas in the attacking line, the manager at the time in Smith lauded the forward as being a “great addition” to his side’s options in the final third, a statement that couldn’t be argued after the strength of his personal 2020/21 campaign.
An added bonus of the deal was his experience in playing in the Premier League before his success in the second tier, in which he registered 36 appearances in the top flight with Norwich in the 2019/20 season that saw them relegated.
That term, the Argentine scored once and claimed seven assists, adding fuel to the fire of the explosive figure he could become at Villa Park, but has it worked out?
What is Emi Buendia’s market value now?
Despite all the thrill of his past numbers, the now 26-year-old has failed to translate his form at Norwich to Villa in his first two years at the club.
Now valued by CIES Football Observatory at just €15m (£13m), there has been a significant 66% drop in the player’s market value and subsequently his sell-on potential over the last two years.
In 73 Premier League appearances so far for the Midlands side, the winger has contributed to 17 goals, scoring nine and assisting eight over the duration of two league seasons.
The numbers are disappointing, particularly as the Argentine has featured in the league previously in his career, and considering the form he displayed prior to joining the club.
Former Premier League striker Noel Whelan accused Buendia of failing to “hit the heights that everyone expected”, as well as describing the forward’s time at Villa as having not being “consistent enough”, via Football Insider.
It’s punishing criticism, however fair in nature, as the numbers support claims that the 26-year-old has fallen short in terms of the expectation that was there at the point of his arrival.
Equally, this season was a chance for him to have a positive campaign, which looked to be on the cards as he impressed in pre-season earlier this summer.
Just before the start of the 2023/24 term, Buendia suffered a traumatic ACL injury in training, a tragic blow for the winger, that will leave him sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Was signing Buendia a good deal?
The quality that Buendia can exert on his day makes him a valuable asset for Emery to have in his side, with him proving to be a handful for defenders when in top form.
However, last season, the attacking midfielder averaged a Sofascore match rating of 6.79 per game, reinforcing that his stellar performances aren’t frequent enough.
Over the two years that he’s been employed by Villa, the winger has picked up almost £8m in wages, which roughly equates to a figure nearing £900k earned per goal scored in the Premier League.
There’s certainly an argument to suggest that the Argentine is yet to live up to his price tag, having not reached anywhere near the level that was expected following his dominating season for Norwich.
With a further three years remaining on his contract, there remains hope that Villa will still squeeze the best form out of Buendia, who is capable of marvellous things on his day.
