Arsenal: 3 roles Emi Buendia could play if signed

Arsenal are pushing hard to sign Emi Buendia in the summer transfer window, a move that if pulled off will excite supporters who are dazzled by his outstanding form, while also posing the question: where will be play?

Where Arsenal need signings is unarguable, but who they need to fit them is the source of constant debate and intrigue. Nigh on every position in the squad will need seeing to, with strikers, wingers, creative midfielders, central midfielders, central defenders, full-backs and goalkeepers all featuring among the speculated outgoings.

There will be widespread departures in any case, any some of the above may stay put or be filled by internal solutions, yet it’s been made clear that Arsenal will need to sign an advanced creative force.

Martin Odegaard’s future in north London is up in the air. Zinedine Zidane’s own future is up for debate which will have implications on the Norwegian, while if Arsenal do pursue a permanent deal they will be forced to part with a large chunk of their meagre budget. Whether or not the 22-year-old is worth such an outlay is a different debate.

3 roles Emi Buendia could play at Arsenal if signed from Norwich in the summer transfer market

Arsenal may feel that even if Odegaard does return to north London another creative midfielder will be sourced, which would explain Arsenal preparing a bid for Emi Buendia.

Arteta wants Odegaard to return but it will be a difficult operation to pull off, and long-standing interest in the Argentine has been building up to this point. Ideally both would be brought in but Arsenal simply do not have the funding unless KSE seriously loosen their purse strings.

It’s felt a move for the Norwich forward is inevitable. Arteta and Edu are pushing for the move and should it come off, the debate over where he lines up comes into play. Naturally a right-winger, Arsenal are heavily stocked in wide departments so there is scope for change. Here are three ways he could be utilised.

1. Emi Buendia as a Right-Winger

The first one, naturally, is his current position although left-winger can be thrown into the equation, too.

At Norwich Buendia is given license to operate and interchange. Lining up on the right, the Canaries see the lion’s share of possession (at least in the Championship) where movement across the front line is encouraged for the Argentine.

Drifting inside, underlapping or overlapping, he can shift across the pitch and link play depending on the opposition’s shape. His movement on the ball is quick, and the bursts of acceleration are so effective down the line.

At Arsenal, forming triangles in wide areas is key component of Arteta’s style. The issue at present is the tempo in these moves. Too often passages are laborious or slow, and adding someone with such a heightened technical ability to play in these areas would up the speed.

Equally, as witnessed against Crystal Palace and has been prevalent for a while, Arteta likes to instruct his No. 10 to interchange with the right-back and right-winger in these moves. Again, that speed of thought Buendia has and burst of pace would suit these phases.

Of course, Arsenal have plenty of wingers in their ranks. Now picked up by various outlets, Willian is looking to leave the club, which if somehow pulled off, would free up a space. Easier said than done, though.

2. Emi Buendia as a Number 10

As soon as his name appeared in the headlines regarding a potential switch to Arsenal, the prospect of Buendia playing in the No. 10 role emerged. He has mentioned it himself:

"He said: “At first, I played on the right wing, but with the freedom I can move around. For most of my life, my position has been the number ten behind the striker.”"

So much of his time at Norwich is spent attacking spaces wherever they may be, which means he often finds himself drifting into central areas. Piercing diagonal runs and exceptional spatial awareness ensure he is effective playing both inside and outside, as well as with space to operate and without it.

Another aspect is that when Arsenal get back to defend, the wingers usually support the full-backs to add bodies in behind. This can free up the No. 10 to be slightly advanced in case of turnovers, yet Emile Smith Rowe and Odegaard are not the speed merchants to exploit such instances. Their vision can play others in, but Buendia has excellent acceleration and is so comfortable running with the ball at pace that he’s a lethal asset on transition.

Counter-attacks have not been Arsenal’s friend this season. They have (really, no joke) scored just one in the Premier League this season. It came on the opening day when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang converted the third goal against Fulham.

In general Buendia will aid this deficiency but playing through the middle he can be brutally impactful.

As for goal threat, the 24-year-old has a delightful array of shooting styles. Crucially, with either foot. He’s the most two-footed player in the Championship with four goals on his left peg to complement the nine on his right, one header and one penalty.

That aids both in terms of vision, as defenders woe to be face to face with a forward who can switch foot in the blink of an eye. Nowhere is being two-footed more useful than in central areas.

3. Emi Buendia as a Right-Sided No. 8

This is one of the prospects coughed up when Odegaard signed and worth mentioning in the case of Buendia’s potential arrival.

It’s an area of uncertainty, still, as to whether Arteta is planning to merge into the 4-3-3 formation he has stated previously is his long-term preference. On the occasion it’s come to fruition this season it hasn’t worked out, with the manager claiming he is ‘five or six’ players short of making that switch.

Should he choose to, then a midfield trio of [insert new player]/Smith Rowe, Thomas Partey and Buendia could be mooted.

Sticking Buendia and Smith Rowe either side of Partey is on first glance hugely unbalanced. Both the No. 8’s in this scenario have excellent work ethic, yet with attacking tendencies it leaves Partey with acres to cover. The Ghanaian flourished as the single pivot against weaker opposition but looked horribly exposed against others.

Buendia does have the scope to play as a No. 8. He’s operated as the No. 10 and as the right-winger, positions which encompass some elements of the role, but for £40m Arsenal should not be signing a player of one position to then try and mould him into another. If the plan is for a No. 8, then the club should buy a No. 8. Fairly straightforward.

With the Argentine, however, he loves collecting possession from deep and driving with the ball, attributes that would come to the fore if operating in the right half-space. He can pick a pass, whip a cross, take a shot or beat his man. It’d work, but it’s a huge outlay to spend on a positional change.