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West Ham signing this promising 22-year-old Norwich star would solve their midfield conundrum

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Emi Buendia

Why West Ham should revive their interest in Norwich

Norwich City midfielder Emi Buendia was targeted by Premier League rivals West Ham United in the previous summer transfer window, Athletic (h/t Eastern Daily Press) have reported.

Buendia was one of five attacking midfielders that the Hammers considered before ultimately signing Pablo Fornals from Villarreal for £24million.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men, who finished 10th in the Premier League last term, currently sit at 13th place on the table with 13 points from 11 games so far.

Emi Buendia
Emi Buendia has shown promise for Norwich City (Credits: Getty Images)

The narrative surrounding the club’s potential under the former Manchester City manager has rapidly declined in recent weeks, especially after their discouraging losses to Crystal Palace, Everton and Newcastle United.

Much has been said of the lack of output coming from West Ham’s present midfield despite the presence of some flashy attacking players. Names like Fornals, Jack Wilshere, Robert Snodgrass, and Manuel Lanzini sound good enough to impress on paper but the club have routinely been punished for a lack of bite in the middle of the park.

On the field, an injury-prone Wilshere leaves no trace of the level of experience he has under his belt while Fornals has struggled to meet fan expectations since his arrival at the East London club during the summer.

Emi Buendia
Emi Buendia (Credits: Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Lanzini has struggled to hold his place in the squad since returning from a cruciate ligament injury layoff and has recently found himself on the bench instead of the pitch.

West Ham’s current crisis brings us to their reported summer interest in Buendia, who would be an ideal fit for Pellegrini’s midfield. The 22-year-old was a pivotal figure for the Canaries as they made their way to the English top-flight after winning the Championship last season.

The midfielder, who made his switch from Getafe in the summer of 2018, registered 8 goals and 12 assists in 38 games for the club during the course of their title-winning campaign.

The Argentina international has, however, not enjoyed the best transition into the Premier League, having failed to replicate his scintillating Championship form on the bigger stage that is the top division.

Emi Buendia
Credits: Getty Images)

The midfielder has been less clinical and dramatically wasteful in a number of games this term, a fact that shows he is in need of a breather.

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Verdict

Despite his inconsistencies in the final third, the 22-year-old is still one of England’s best creative players this season, with four Premier League assists to his name so far. Only Manchester City duo Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva have registered more assists than him in the league this season.

Hence, West Ham would be quite wise to revive their interest in Buendia and sign him up in January or next summer.