Buendia and the Shadow of Diaby: Aston Villa's £55m That Has Yet to Bear Fruit
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- Aston Villa telah menggelontorkan total £55 juta untuk Emiliano Buendia, namun kontribusi gol dan assist-nya jauh dari ekspektasi.
- Kegagalan Buendia mengulang pola Moussa Diaby: mahal, minim dribel sukses, dan kalah dalam duel fisik.
- Manajemen Villa dituntut segera melepas pemain agar tidak menjadi beban finansial di tengah aturan PSR.
Emiliano Buendia has officially become one of the most disappointing signings of the modern Premier League era after Aston Villa's total outlay on him reached £55 million, a figure far from commensurate with his contribution on the pitch.
The Argentina attacking midfielder was signed from Norwich City in the summer of 2021 for £33 million. Great expectations were placed on him to become the attacking engine of The Villans. However, after 160 appearances, he has scored just 12 goals—an average of one goal every five matches. This season, too, he has recorded only 0.5 successful dribbles per 90 minutes and 0.5 chances created per 90 minutes, figures that place him below 80% of other attacking players in the league.
Looking back, Buendia's failure is not an isolated case. Moussa Diaby, signed for a club-record £52 million in 2023, also lasted only a year before being sold to Saudi Arabia. Diaby completed only 42% of his dribbles, took 0.8 shots on target per 90 minutes, and lost 68% of his ground duels. The same pattern repeated: expensive, not adaptable, then gone.
Manager Unai Emery has in fact continued to show faith in him, handing him 61 appearances since the start of last season. But that trust has yet to yield consistency. Amid Villa's need to comply with Financial Fair Play and the Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), the presence of a high-earning player with low output is a double burden. The club must sell assets to keep spending in the transfer market.
This summer, Villa again spent heavily on Johan Manzambi and Ibrahim Mbaye, each for a fee above £40 million. Their arrivals automatically narrow the space for existing players like Buendia. If there is no immediate improvement, the 29-year-old's position will come under growing pressure.
"The failures of Buendia and Diaby show that recruitment based purely on statistics is not enough. Tactical adaptation and the mentality of the league are far more decisive," said a Premier League analyst who declined to be named.
This phenomenon is also a valuable lesson for Indonesian clubs, especially those starting to boldly sign expensive foreign players. Liga 1 often gets caught up in transfer euphoria without taking into account the fit between playing style and league. As a result, expensive players end up only warming the bench, while clubs bear large wages. Villa is a clear example of how recruitment mistakes can hinder long-term ambitions.
Going forward, Villa's management under Monchi and Emery will be required to be more selective. Buendia still has time left on his contract, but if his performances do not improve soon, the option of selling him in the next transfer window becomes increasingly rational. The question is, will any club be willing to absorb the £22 million in wages he has already pocketed? Or will Villa have to accept a major loss just to shed this burden?
