Stuart Webber comments on Arsenal links with Emi Buendia

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Norwich City received no interest in Emi Buendia during the January transfer window despite the playmaker being linked with a move to Arsenal, according to the club’s sporting director Stuart Webber in comments reported by the Eastern Daily Press.

Buendia is one of a number of exciting players the Canaries managed to hold onto following their relegation from the Premier League.

And he has continued to impress back in the Championship. The 24-year-old has scored seven goals and provided six assists for Daniel Farke’s side.

Understandably, he is reportedly attracting admiring glances. Football London reported late in the January window that Mikel Arteta was a fan of Buendia.

The report claimed that he remained high on the Arsenal boss’ wish list – though there was no suggestion that any offer was in the pipeline. And Webber has now added to that by insisting that any notion that the interest went any further would be wide of the mark.

He did however, seem to acknowledge that the club will be prepared for the departures of the likes of Buendia, Max Aarons and Todd Cantwell at some stage.

“When things are actually happening it is not on some 12 year old’s social media account. When it is, it is rubbish,” he said, as reported by Eastern Daily Press. “When this 12 year old says he has definitely seen [Mikel] Arteta at Buendia’s house, I’m not sure you should believe him.

‘We will make sure we are rewarded’

“We didn’t have any interest in Emi or Todd. We have all seen it. Moves happen in January for the wrong reasons and you can look back in six months and have regrets.

“Those three lads are good players, good lads and it is inevitable at some point there will be interest. We will make sure we are rewarded and they will go to a good place.”

It looks inevitable that Arsenal will be linked with Buendia once again in the summer. As Football London suggests, he is a player Arteta appears to really like. And he has continued to impress this season.

The Gunners did sign an attacking midfielder in January. However, Martin Odegaard is likely to only be a temporary solution. The Norwegian is on loan at the Emirates until the end of the season.

So Buendia is surely likely to be at the centre of further speculation. And while Webber has insisted that Arsenal never confirmed their interest with a bid last month, it would be little surprise if the Norwich sporting director was already bracing himself to be a lot busier when the window opens again.