Fans react as Arsenal reportedly miss out on Buendia
According to several reliable news outlets, Aston Villa have reportedly won a two-horse race for the signature of Norwich City playmaker Emi Buendia.
After the news got published on Saturday evening, there was huge frustration and anger among Arsenal fans, which was understandable.
The club has been tracking Buendia for several years and he was considered one of the top targets at the Emirates Stadium in the current summer transfer window.
However, Premier League rivals Aston Villa reportedly increased the pace of negotiations with the 24-year-old’s camp, and it appears like Arsenal were caught sleeping.
The news certainly did not go well with Arsenal supporters who flooded Twitter and Instagram to vent out their anger.
If you ask for my personal opinion, Arsenal fans are maybe making a huge deal out of it. But the real questions should be asked of the Arsenal board rather than the club’s supporters.
First, if the club was ‘really interested’ in him then why didn’t they match Aston Villa’s offer? It was not a situation of Villa stomping in with a gargantuan bid. Everybody knew Buendia was available for 35 million.
Second. If the club did not see him as a first-choice option, then why did they chase him for two whole weeks? The club should have focused on signing other players rather than chasing Buendia half-heartedly.
Although fans should also consider that it’s not a done deal yet and things can change rather quickly in football.
Regardless, serious questions need to be asked of the ‘Edu-Arteta project’ because if they don’t get it right this summer, the club might end up finishing closer to the bottom half than to the top six.