According to Turkish outlet TRT Spor, Fenerbahce have begun attempts to sign Norwich playmaker Emiliano Buendia, who was linked with a move to Aston Villa recently.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent weeks had suggested the Argentine was of major interest to Dean Smith’s side, but a deal has since failed to materialise, with Villa bringing in Ross Barkley on loan from Chelsea in recent days.

Now, TRT Spor claim that Turkish giants Fenerbahce are keen on luring Buendia away from Carrow Road in this summer transfer window, and that the 23-year-old himself doesn’t want to be playing in the Championship this year.

Better than Barkley

Whilst landing Barkley on a season-long loan from Stamford Bridge appears to be a real coup for Villa on the face of it, Johan Lange should arguably have signed Buendia instead.

The diminutive midfield was a shining light for a Norwich team that finished bottom of the Premier League table last season, providing eight assists in 39 games across all competitions, with seven of them coming in the top-flight alone.

Hailed as a “game-changing” player by his former boss at Leon, Ruben de la Barrera, the 23-year-old was a creative force for the Canaries, averaging an impressive 2.3 key passes and 2.8 dribbles per game.

Compare that to Barkley, and you see someone who was far less influential in the time that he was on the pitch for Chelsea. As per Whoscored, he averaged less than half the numbers Buendia produced, managing just 1.1 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per match in the Premier League.

This campaign has already seen Villa’s talisman Jack Grealish become even more of a goal-scoring threat for the side, netting twice in his opening three games. What the England international needs is someone to give the team a bit more creativity, and Buendia would have offered that aplenty. Instead, Lange moved for someone considerably worse.