West Ham United have joined the race to sign Norwich City playmaker Emiliano Buendia this summer, with the Hammers considering him as a potential alternative to Jesse Lingard, according to The Sunday Mirror (02/05/21, p72).

Buendia has been recognised as the standout player in the Championship this season, with the playmaker earning the division’s Player of the Year award.

That comes with him having managed to fire in an impressive tally of 14 goals and 17 assists in his 38 appearances in the league. That has seen play an instrumental role in firing the Canaries back into the Premier League.

The attacker has been consistently linked with a potential move to Arsenal over the course of the campaign, while it has also been reported that Aston Villa are considering making a move for him. There have also been reports that the Canaries would be looking to receive a fee of around £40million for him were they to cash in on him in the forthcoming window.

 

 

The Sunday Mirror (02/05/21, p72) are now reporting that Buendia is a potential target for West Ham this summer if they miss out on a move for Lingard. While it also added that the Canaries although wanting to keep hold of him are aware that they might need to sell to raise funds for Daniel Farke to strengthen his squad.

The Verdict

Losing Buendia would be a massive blow for Norwich ahead of their Premier League return, but it would at least give them the chance to invest some serious money into their squad. They face a crucial decision over whether the playmaker is more valuable to them than maybe two or three other quality signings that they could make with the money they would get for him.

West Ham would be a very interesting destination for Buendia this summer, with the attacker likely to be handed a major creative role within their side. The Hammers have had a lot of success recruiting players off the back of strong Championship performances, and they already know the Argentine can perform in the top-flight.

Any side that brings in Buendia this summer will have made a very good investment and at £40million they should see a return in terms of the output he will produce on the field. Norwich should in my opinion do all they can to keep him, but the lure of potential European football at West Ham might prove to be too much for him to turn down.