After selling players like Adam Idah, Jon Rowe, and Gabriel Sara, among others, in a high-profile deal, Norwich City had a very busy summer transfer window.
The Carrow Road recruitment squad typically went after younger players, and it makes sense.
The recruitment strategy and the buying low, selling high model—which teams like Brentford and Brighton have honed over the last ten years—will be the focal points of Norwich’s improvement plan.
Norwich City made a wise business decision in signing Emi Buendia.
To their credit, Norwich has also found success with this strategy in the past, and Emi Buendia’s contract was undoubtedly the club’s most notable recent acquisition.
In 2018, the Canaries acquired the offensive midfielder from Getafe in a deal that was rumoured to be worth £1.6 million.
Buendia was with La Liga team Getafe at the time, but he had previously been on loan at Cultural Leonesa in the second division, so it’s safe to assume that he wasn’t the kind of signing that made a lot of news.
But it didn’t take long for Norwich to realise they had made a wise choice when Buendia replaced James Maddison, who had moved to Leicester City, as a vital member of Daniel Farke’s team.
Though he had a lot of shoes to fill, Buendia accepted the challenge and helped Norwich win the Championship with eight goals and twelve assists.
Although he was unable to match those stats in the Premier League the next season, Buendia showed flashes of brilliance when the Yellows were down, therefore it was a plus for Norwich that they were able to hold onto the player after their relegation.
Buendia reached a new height in the 2020–21 season, putting up maybe one of his best individual performances in the Championship.
Buendia finished with a total of 15 goals and 16 assists, helping Farke’s team to another convincing league title.
Emi Buendia profit is huge for Norwich City.
Due to his performances, Buendia’s return to the Premier League was no longer likely to keep him in Norfolk. As a result, despite much discussion, Aston Villa emerged victorious in the fight to recruit the attacker, agreeing to a contract worth up to £38 million.
Naturally, from a football standpoint, it was a setback for Norwich, who were demoted again and haven’t been in the Premier League since.
His sale must therefore be viewed in that context, but from a financial standpoint, it was a significant profit for the team and went just as Norwich had hoped.
They saw Buendia’s potential early on, gave him three excellent seasons on the pitch, and then sold him for a huge profit. Sadly, the problem was that the proceeds from the sale were not used correctly, and Norwich suffered on the pitch as a result.
Going forward, though, Buendia was the clearest illustration of Norwich’s successful transfer policy; it is hoped that Ante Crnac, Amankwah Forson, and Oscar Schwartau will be able to do so in the years to come.
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