Reports: Arsenal will have to pay £40m for Norwich City star Emiliano Buendia

Arsenal’s quest to add creativity to their squad in January has taken them to Norwich City in the Championship. But they might have to break the bank to secure their target.

According to Sportslens, the Gunners are interested in Canaries star Emiliano Buendia and are eager to secure his services in the winter. However, Norwich want £40m for the Argentine.

Buendia started his career with Getafe, rising through the ranks and making his debut for the club in 2014. He made the move to Carrow Road in the summer of 2018 and enjoyed a fantastic debut season.

The Argentine made 41 appearances for the Canaries, scoring eight goals and helping his team earn promotion to the Premier League.

After an underwhelming 2019/20 season, Buendia has hit top form once again this term, scoring seven goals in 19 appearances in all competitions so far.

That has attracted interest from the Gunners, who have lacked a creative edge in their squad this season. Arsenal are currently 11th in the table after 17 games but are recovering from a terrible run of form that saw them go winless in 10 games.

It is clear why Arteta feels Buendia could make a difference at the Emirates. Besides scoring goals, the Argentine has also notched up seven assists this season and could be the answer to Arsenal’s creative woes.

However, after selling Ben Godfrey and Jamal Lewis earlier in the summer, the Canaries are under no financial pressure at the moment. As such, securing Buendia’s services might not be easy for Arsenal because Norwich City might be unwilling to budge from their valuation of the player.

Arsenal contemplating a player-plus-cash offer for Buendia

Arsenal are not ready to meet Norwich City’s demands but could attempt to sweeten the offer by offering Reiss Nelson in a player-plus-cash deal. The Gunners have reportedly held talks with the player’s representatives, and a deal cannot be ruled out yet.

However, it is also true that the London side have to sell a few of their current players to clear up space for any potential arrival.

The Gunners will also need to generate funds to land Buendia from Carrow Road. However, in case a deal fails to materialize, Arsenal have lined up alternate options. The Gunners will then consider short term deals for Paris-Saint Germain star Julian Draxler and Real Madrid midfielder Isco.

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Edited by Zaid Khan