da betsul： This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
da bet7k： Aston Villa’s summer was one of mass activity. Signing 12 players for a total cost of over £130m, it still feels too hard to judge whether it was right.
Immediate comparisons with Fulham were there but as the Villans sit in 15th and four points clear of the drop zone, more spending could occur in January.
Most recently, they’ve been linked with moves for wingers Said Benrahma, someone they targeted in the summer, and also Norwich’s Emiliano Buendia.
But focusing upon the Canaries wide man, what could he bring to Villa Park if he arrived?
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On the chalkboard
Buendia is a wonderfully gifted footballer and he got off to a flying start with Norwich after their promotion to the top-flight this term.
In his first six games of the campaign, he’d racked up four assists. However, they remain his sole goal contributions of the season.
That doesn’t mean the 22-year-old’s been poor, however.
In fact, the £16.2m-rated winger trumps both Jack Grealish and John McGinn in one key area. In 2019/20, the Argentine has completed a colossal 3.2 dribbles per game on average.
In one outing, he registered as many as nine versus Brighton which is a glowing testament to the abilities he has.
If you compare that particular quality to Grealish, someone who is notoriously good in tight spaces, he beats him by a considerable margin.
The Villa skipper averages just 1.8 per match this term. McGinn, meanwhile, is currently completing 2.6 each game on average. Buendia is also ahead of the Scotsman for key passes.
Given how the Villa duo have taken to life in the Premier League, registering 11 goal involvements this season, it’s impressive that the Norwich man still trumps them in one area.
Dean Smith clearly likes to operate with canny dribblers in his system because he signed Trezeguet in the summer too. In 2018/19, he registered a mighty 3.3 for Kasimpasa per game.
Buendia is clearly a player that would suit Villa’s style of play and he could certainly add a further dynamic to their squad.
Meanwhile, check out what one former Villa man has had to say about Steve Bruce…