Why the Premier League's elite should be monitoring Norwich's creative hero

With 13 games of the season to go, Norwich's fate is all but sealed. The Canaries have played some exciting football and picked up some solid results thus far, notably a home victory over Manchester City and draws at Carrow Road with north London pair Arsenal and Tottenham, but with just four wins to their name all season, it is unlikely to be enough to keep the Canaries in the top-flight.  

That being said, stranger things in football can happen and Bournemouth, for example, looked dead a buried a couple of weeks ago. Back-to-back wins over Brighton and Aston Villa have lifted them clear of the relegation zone and with just seven points separating Norwich and Aston Villa, Premier League survival can't be entirely ruled out until the fat lady has sung. 

And in the likes of Todd Cantwell, Teemu Pukki and Emiliano Buendia, they have the attacking personnel to hurt any team on their day. 24 goals scored isn't the worst return in the league and is only two fewer than Sheffield United in sixth. The issue is that outside of the former duo, Norwich lack the cutting edge to pull away from danger. 8.9 key passes per game is actually the 11th best in the Premier League this season, but the Canaries have the worst conversion rate (7.6%) in England's top tier this term. 

Factor in that they have conceded the joint-most goals (47) in the Premier League and it's a recipe for relegation. Yet, it's no shock that a couple of their star performers have been linked with a summer exit and to remain among England's elite sides. Cantwell is on the radars of Premier League sides, as is Max Aarons, while the top performer in the final third more than deserves to retain his spot in the top-flight of English football, be it with Norwich or elsewhere. 

Last summer, Norwich acted accordingly to protect one of their prized assets as Buendia penned a five-year deal until 2024. As Daniel Farke oversaw promotion, Buendia was one of the stars of the campaign. His WhoScored rating (7.39) was the fourth best in the Championship as he transitioned seamlessly from Spanish to English football. Having played a bit part role for Getafe, Farke struck gold with the Argentine. Paying a paltry £1.35m for his services, Norwich stand to make a substantial windfall if they do opt to cash in on Buendia. 

They may have little say in that matter, of course, but his continued development means he is one of the stars of the season as he adjusted to the rigours of Premier League football with ease. Indeed, had Norwich boasted prolific attackers outside of Cantwell and Pukki, Buendia would have more to show for his efforts than his seven assists. Only Kevin De Bruyne (88) has created more goalscoring chances than Beundia (68) in the Premier League this season. 

The 23-year-old accounts for 30.6% of the total key passes Norwich have played in the Premier League this season, while the Buendia to Pukki partnership has provided four goals for the Canaries, one of the better returns in the top-flight. Just imagine, then, how much better Buendia's goal output would look in a side that doesn't boast a WhoScored weakness of 'finishing scoring chances'? 

It's clear that Buendia is a player destined for bigger and better things and, unfortunately, that is looking increasingly likely to be away from Norwich. Having shone in the Premier League, a number of the league's elite sides should be monitoring his and Norwich's situation closely. His WhoScored rating of 7.32 ranks among the top 15 players in the Premier League this season. For Norwich, that their second highest rated player - Kenny McLean (6.79) - is so far behind Buendia, the gulf indicates the difference in quality between Buendia and his teammates with the Canaries. 

No player has won more WhoScored man of the match awards than Buendia (6) in the Premier League this season, while 83 successful dribbles ranks third and 11 accurate through balls first, and it's clear even to any passing Premier League football fan that Buendia is a player who can pick and choose his next club if Norwich do sanction his sale. 

The Canaries can be expected to do anything and everything in their power to ensure that, even with their impending relegation, Buendia remains at Carrow Road, and it was a smart move to tie him down to a long-term contract on the back of their title success. However, if a big side stumps up the fee to ease Norwich's impending relegation, then they would be powerless to stopping him from leaving for pastures new.

And for any side with, not only a prolific frontman, but a fair spread of the goals in the squad, too, Beundia is a player whose creative quality would be an immense benefit to any forward-thinking, dominant Premier League side. As the end of the season looms, we could be about to bear witness to a mad scramble to sign of the division's top creative performers.