The Canaries’ club record sale helped Aston Villa win the Europa League recently with a stunning strike in a 3-0 final win over Freiburg.
That capped a remarkable turnaround for the 29-year-old, who finished the previous season on loan following a serious knee injury.
But Buendia can now look forward to Champions League football after proving the Villa Park doubters wrong.
City spotted the Argentine maestro in the Spanish second tier, before he emerged as a key performer in a Daniel Farke era which landed two Championship titles, prior to his initial £33m move to the Midlands in 2021.
“It wasn’t as dramatic a step up because I’d already had three incredible years at Norwich. We won the Championship twice, and also experienced relegation from the Premier League,” he said. “By the time I joined Villa I already understood the rhythm and demands of English soccer.
“I still remember the excitement of Aston Villa’s call because the project they described has gradually become reality. The club’s ambition at that time was to experience exactly what we’re living now.
“Big changes and adventures have always helped me grow. Since I was 11 years old, when I left Argentina to move to Spain and join Real Madrid, my life has been full of those moments. Moving to England was another step. I arrived in a country where soccer is lived in a very special way, and luckily things went really well during those years at Norwich.
“(At Getafe) I went on loan to Cultural Leonesa when we were in the second division. That was another huge step in my career. I still have a lot of affection for that club and many people there. Even today I’m still close friends with people from Leon.
“That season I started enjoying soccer again. I felt confident and important. Unfortunately, we were relegated, but it was enough for Norwich to notice me. By January (2021) everything was agreed for me to move to England that summer, and the rest is history.”
Emi Buendia doubled Aston Villa’s lead in the Europa League romp over Freiburg (Image: PA)
Buendia’s eyecatching end to the season in England did not earn him a place in Argentina’s final 26-player squad for their World Cup defence, and in all probability Lionel Messi’s international swansong.
“It’s going to be a very difficult tournament. There are so many great national teams and elite players,” he said, in a wide-ranging interview with Spanish outlet AS. “Argentina are always there as defending champions from Qatar. France is incredibly strong after reaching another final. Spain have amazing players and are European champions.
“England also have huge talent. Then there’s Germany, the Netherlands, Morocco, Senegal – there are many teams capable of making a deep run. In tournaments like this, tiny details make all the difference.
“Leo is everyone’s idol. Most of us grew up watching him do unbelievable things for years. What he’s still doing after more than 20 years is insane. We try to enjoy every moment with him because national team camps are always short.
“Naturally, we want him with us for as long as possible, but the decision belongs entirely to him. Whatever he decides will be respected by everyone, and hopefully it ends with more joy for Argentina.”