EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal reignite interest in Villa midfielder Emi Buendia
Steve Kay
- Updated: 4 Aug 2023 19:10 BST
- 3 min read
Exclusive
Emi Buendia continues to be admired by Arsenal after the side opted not to pursue the Argentine when he was at Norwich City. We are told that the club could reignite their interest in the 26-year-old as they look to find a backup option for Bukayo Saka.
Villa signed Buendia for £33 million, rising to £38 million with potential bonuses, in 2021, and he has enjoyed a stellar time in the Midlands, playing 78 games and scoring nine goals.
This follows the news that Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus had minor knee surgery and will consequently miss the start of the Premier League season. Jesus did not play in Wednesday's pre-season win over Monaco, with Mikel Arteta saying that he will be out of action for ‘a few weeks.’
The 26-year-old's injury is related to the knee problems he had last season, which also required surgery and saw him miss a significant portion of the campaign. "It's a big blow because we had him back to his best," said Arteta after his side beat Monaco 6-5 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium.
READ MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals
Jesus injury woes
"Unfortunately, he had a minor procedure this morning. He had some irritation in the knee, and we had to resolve it. It's not major, but he will be out for a few weeks, I think," Arteta said. "We had to make a decision, and the best one is to protect the player and to get him back as quickly as possible, so we decided to do it."
Arsenal are gearing up to face Manchester City in the Community Shield this weekend. They will then go up against Nottingham Forest in their first Premier League game of the season.
