Aston Villa boss Dean Smith is reportedly keen on making a move for Norwich City star Emiliano Buendia this summer.

What's the story?

Reports over the summer last year suggested that Villa were very much interested in landing the Argentine before the end of the deadline, but a deal failed to materialise.

Now, The Sun (via The Birmingham Mail) claim that Smith is keen on getting his man the second time around, especially with Ross Barkley almost certain to return back to Chelsea after his loan spell ends at the end of the Premier League season.

Dean Smith would love him

Given the kind of reliance Villa have placed upon Jack Grealish as their main source of creation, it's unsurprising that Johan Lange appears to be eyeing another wide play-maker in the shape of Buendia.

The £20k-a-week star has enjoyed a remarkable campaign thus far for the Canaries this season, firing them straight back to the Premier League at the first time of asking - he's scored 14 goals and provided a whopping 17 assists in the league alone.

His teammate, Max Aarons, has meanwhile raved about the kind of creative genius that he is, saying: "He’s not really a player who will get on the ball and take you on as a full-back. His game is more about getting into pockets, playing neat passes and creating things.

"When you’ve got someone, who wants to run at you, then it’s easier to lock them down whereas someone like him is quite intricate so it’s hard to get near him. He’s tenacious and very strong. He’s got a lot of attributes."

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Given his bucket-load of assists and goals this season, Smith would no doubt love to have Buendia in his squad to really ease the pressure on Grealish's shoulders, whether he's playing or not.

Meanwhile, Villa are monitoring this star who just starred against them...