Darren Bent has told talkSPORT that Emiliano Buendia is yet to convince him since joining Aston Villa from Norwich City in a club-record transfer for Dean Smith’s side this summer.
The Villa Park natives paid the Canaries an initial £33m in June, potentially rising to £38m with future add-ons. Aston Villa beat interest from Arsenal to capture the Argentine after he dominated the Championship and won the title as the Player of the Season last term.
Buendia scored 15 goals and laid on a further 17 assists in 39 second-tier appearances under Daniel Farke. But Smith is yet to unlock that creativity in the top-flight, with the 24-year-old scoring once and assisting once. Creating his first against West Ham on Sunday.
Smith has also only started Buendia in six of Aston Villa’s 10 top-flight fixtures, plus cameos in two further games. While only leaving the midfielder on the field from start to end once, against Brentford on August 28. Coincidentally the game he scored his only Villans goal in.
His performances in claret-and-blue are yet to show former Aston Villa striker Bent why the Birmingham outfit signed Buendia. The player-turned-pundit has reflected on Smith’s deals from the summer, noting how they miss Manchester City’s £100m maestro, Jack Grealish.
“Of course they miss Jack,” Bent said. “Jack was fantastic for them. I thought at the start [of the season] they recruited really well [to replace him].
“When they got Danny Ings and pinched him under everyone’s noses, I thought what a signing that is. They’ve brought him in, they’ve brought in Emi Buendia, who I’m still unconvinced by. [And] I think Dean Smith’s still trying to find the best formation”.
Is Bent right to question Buendia impact since Aston Villa transfer?
Grealish naturally left a mammoth hole in Smith’s plans this summer that Aston Villa hoped Buendia would help to fill. The England international was the captain and talisman at Villa Park last season, with a team-high 12 Premier League assists. He also scored six goals.
The 24-year-old also played a pivotal role in how Villa played, taking games by the scruff of the neck continually. Aston Villa players knew they could pass the ball to Grealish and let him do the rest. And that has not been the case with Buendia so far this season.
Buendia has struggled to replicate his Championship form in the Premier League, and Smith has shown Aston Villa have alternatives. But questions also persist for Bent on what system the Villans boss uses. While club chiefs have also reportedly begun to eye replacements.
Smith may need Buendia to show more in Aston Villa’s upcoming fixtures to help save his job. The £80k-a-week playmaker has not been the creative force Smith will have expected and has appeared miles off the pace. Giving play away cheaply and spurning his chances.
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