"Superior" - Leeds United urged to ditch Gus Hamer move and target Aston Villa transfer | OneFootball

FLW's Leeds United fan pundit believes Daniel Farke's choice should be obvious between Gus Hamer and Emu Buendia

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leeds United are believed to be eyeing up a move for either Emi Buendia or Gustavo Hamer.

According to TBR Football, the Whites are keen to recruit one of the two No.10’s ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign.

The report states that Hamer is the more likely option for Daniel Farke and Co. thanks to his cheaper asking price.

However, Football League World’s Leeds United fan pundit, Ger Lynch, believes that the Whites should pursue a deal for the more experienced operator in this scenario.

Leeds United told to pursue deal for Emi Buendia

“My preference between the two of them would be Buendia,” said Ger. “His disciplinary record is better, and his work rate tends to be superior too.

“He had a weird season last year on loan at Bayer Leverkusen. He could have joined Leeds in January but decided to go to Leverkusen to play European football and didn't feature an awful lot.

“But coming off the back of an ACL injury the year before, last season was always going to be about getting minutes and probably going to be a bit of a struggle for him.

“I think if he came to Leeds and got a full pre-season under his belt, he’d be a really good fit. He knows Farke really well, he knows his systems and was one of his main men at Norwich.

“Hamer is a really intelligent and very impactful footballer. He has a lot of the same attributes that you would get from Buendia. The issue for me would be his condition is not always great. He tends to be a 70–75-minute player but also has disciplinary issues.

“We have been heavily linked with Buendia for over a year, which is understandable because of the Daniel Farke connection, but I think he fits the system quite well. Farke knows he can probably get the best out of him again.

“Between the two for me, I would definitely go with Buendia.”

Buendia brings more risk but the potential of a greater reward

The upcoming season is crucial for both Leeds United and Buendia.

Farke’s side will be desperate to establish themselves as a top-flight outfit once more, whereas the Argentinian has to prove his anterior cruciate ligament injury hasn’t limited his abilities.

The risk would be forking out a sizeable fee for Buendia’s services and not receiving an adequate return from the 28-year-old. Leeds will need all hands on deck if they are to retain their Premier League status and can’t afford to make the wrong choice in this scenario.

Hamer has just come off a season that has seen him crowned as the Championship’s Player of the Year and is operating at the highest level he has shown in his career.

For a cheaper price, the obvious option seems to be the Sheffield United man, but Farke will surely be tempted to rekindle his connection with Buendia.

The Argentinian scored 15 goals and provided 16 assists as Norwich City clinched the Championship title in the 2020/21 campaign, with Buendia earning that season’s Player of the Year crown.

The resulting seasons saw the playmaker feature consistently in the Premier League for Aston Villa, an achievement Hamer doesn’t have on his CV.

Therefore, although a move for Buendia may bring an element of risk, the rewards could pay dividends for Leeds next term.