It wasn’t supposed to be like this for Emi Buendia at Aston Villa.
Four years ago, he was heralded as a ‘great addition’ by boss Dean Smith after arriving from Norwich City in what was a club-record deal.
As part of the windfall generated by Jack Grealish’s exit, the Argentine arrived with all the bells and whistles you would associate with the club’s record signing.
It was, after all, a £33m deal from the Canaries that could rise by another £5m - making the South American a more valuable capture than striker Ollie Watkins.
That was then, this is now - four years further down the road.
Watkins and Buendia Have Had Contrasting Villa Careers
Ollie Watkins during a pre-match warm-up with Aston Villa
Watkins has established himself for club and country.
If it wasn’t for a certain Harry Kane, there’s a good chance that an Aston Villa man would be shouldering the burden of England’s goalscoring hopes.
Who knows, if the Bayern Munich ace suffers an injury, he still might.
Watkins’s goals have fired Villa into the top four, the Champions League and his country into the final of a major tournament.
To say Buendia, by comparison, has been a slow-burner would be stating the obvious.
However, there are signs he is catching fire.
Three goals in his last four appearances - and a welcome assist - proves that life isn’t yet over for him under Unai Emery.
That the promise which saw Smith fork out such a large sum of money for a talent that was, largely, unproven in the Premier League is close to being realised.
Why has it taken Buendia so long to fulfil his promise?
And is there a genuine chance that he can become a player so influential that he commands a place in Emery’s starting XI?
It’s difficult to portray players as victims, particularly when they are protected by the terms of a £6m-plus contract.
The only surety of selection is through performance.
And one look through Buendia’s statistics shows that he hasn’t done enough, regularly, to warrant staying in any side put out by either Smith, or his successors, Steven Gerrard or Emery.
There is one caveat to that - which we’ll come onto later.
The potential reason for the slow start - one which has not really been given too much air-time - is the playmaker’s relative lack of experience in the Premier League.
Although the former Getafe favourite arrived with a hefty price tag, his actual top-flight exposure had been limited to just one season.
When he arrived at Carrow Road, he was 21 years old and, of the three campaigns he spent with the Norfolk club, only one was among the elite - 2019-20.
The rest - including a season in the Championship which yielded 15 goals from 41 appearances - were all in the second tier.
So, the first point of note was the distance of his step-up - it was considerable.
Villa, at that time, were still trying to find their feet following their elevation under Smith and their great escape, which culminated in Grealish’s goal at the Olympic Stadium against West Ham that ensured their survival.
Buendia was coming into a team that hardly set the world alight - and one that had just lost its best player.
It was against that backdrop that he was expected to set the agenda.
In truth, he failed to do so.
His first two seasons were spent out of the team as much as in. But there were definite signs of improvement during the 2022-23 season in which Villa buried Gerrard’s reign by mounting a rocket-like assault on the upper reaches after Emery was involved.
However, an injury on the day before the season began in which he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament was a blow from which it has taken time to recover.
Buendia has Been Thwarted by Injury Issues
Emiliano Buendia applauding the Aston Villa supporters
Described as ‘a key player,’ the Argentine missed the whole of the 2023-24 campaign during which Emery’s side maintained their improvement by qualifying for the Champions League.
As if the recovery from that injury wasn’t enough, it is perceived wisdom among players that it can take up to 12 months to get up to speed.
Villa have been unfortunate in that regard as Tyrone Mings suffered similarly with a knee issue that kept him out of action for over that length of time.
By that stage, Emery was flooded with attacking options.
As Buendia sat out the opening half of last season, Villa were blessed with their attacking arsenal.
Leon Bailey had come good during his colleague’s absence through injury.
Morgan Rogers had announced himself in the big league with a number of impressive performances.
Jhon Duran was providing a neat counter-balance to Watkins.
Jacob Ramsey was also returning from a nagging injury.
In the central midfield area, Villa were stacked. Amadou Onana had arrived, Youri Tielemans was proving his worth, Ross Barkley was a wildcard that offered promise.
And dare we mention man-for-all-seasons John McGinn?
It was against that backdrop which Buendia was trying to return.
No wonder he found it difficult.
Buendia has Major Aston Villa Opportunity Now
Lamine Camara with Emiliano Buendia Monaco vs Aston Villa
Emery did spring a surprise back in January when the club’s erstwhile record signing was named for a Champions League fixture in Monaco.
At the time, that caused a few eyebrows to be raised but the bigger picture was that Emery wanted Buendia to prove his fitness and hoped to do it during a winning display on the French Riviera.
It wasn’t to be on that night but that 86-minute show at least persuaded Bayer Leverkusen to take a punt.
Interestingly, Emery has never lost faith. Buendia, despite his lengthy spell on the sidelines, was approached about extending his contract. It was due to finish in 2026. Now it has a further 12 months to go.
Injuries - added to the loss of a few players such as Bailey, Ramsey and Duran - allied to the profit and sustainability regulations have forced Emery’s hand.
At home, in particular, he has come to the fore.
Where Villa remain so strong, Buendia has the ability to pick a pass, to unlock the door.
In football, opportunities present themselves at strange times.
And for Emi Beuendia, that time is now.