Norwich tell Arsenal how much they’ll need to spend to sign Emiliano Buendia

Martin Macdonald

• 31 May 2021 13:26 BST
• 2 min read

Arsenal have been told they will need to pay a minimum of £30 million in order to sign Norwich star Emiliano Buendia.

The Argentine was one of Norwich’s best players in their season in the Premier League in 2019/20, and continued this form into the 2020/21 Championship, scoring 15 goals and assisting 15 more in 39 appearances.

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He was a wanted man when the Canaries were relegated, but he was one of a number of stars like Todd Cantwell and Teemu Pukki who stayed to help with the promotion fight, which proved to be successful as they would eventually win the Championship to earn a place in the Premier League again.

Throughout the season Arsenal, Aston Villa and Leeds Utd have been the teams reportedly leading the race for Buendia’s signature, and now they know roughly what it will take to actually acquire him.

How much will Buendia cost?

Last summer Norwich received the highest fee for one of their players in their history when Everton paid £25 million to sign Ben Godfrey.

Buendia, Cantwell, and full-back Max Aarons have all caught the attention of bigger clubs, but if if any of them are to leave, that £25m ceiling will need to be smashed again, according to Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber.

“If we do sell one, it’s going to be a club record deal,” he told BBC Sport.

“It’s probably going to start with a number three in front of it.

“That will give us great opportunities to maybe make the whole better as well. We’re really relaxed on that front.”

Former Norwich goalkeeper Rob Green has previously encouraged Buendia to join an elite club as he believes now is the right time for the Argentine to do so.

“It’s a tough one (transfer), because I see it from the player’s perspective,” he told the Mirror.

“And if ever there’s a time to go it’s when you’re playing really well and you’re confident. He’s just been called into the Argentina team too, so it points in certain directions I guess.

“I’m sure the Norwich fans will be saying ‘well we’re back in the Premier League so we need him to help us’. But it’s a tough one, because everyone has got a price in the end.”

At the end of April, Buendia was named as the Championship Player of the Season.