Aston Villa attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia has "been found wanting" since joining the club this summer, according to journalist Ashley Preece.

What's going on with Buendia?

Buendia became the most expensive signing in Villa's history when he moved to the club in June, and he went straight into the starting line-up for the opening game against Watford two months later.

The Argentine forward gave a glimpse of his talent in his third appearance for Dean Smith's men, netting the equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Brentford

However, since that game he has been restricted to just 12 minutes of action in Villa's last three top-flight games, and appears to be struggling to live up to his hefty price-tag.

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What has Preece made of Buendia's start to life at Villa?

Preece has been left unimpressed by Buendia's contribution in a Villa shirt so far this term, and believes that the former Norwich man, who won the Championship player of the season award last season, is currently battling with confidence issues.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Preece said: “Buendia, hasn’t really started for him yet. Club-record signing, £38m he can rise to, and he’s been played centrally a couple of times and he’s been found wanting. I think his confidence is low at present, so you need to get that up.”

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Will Buendia continue to be overlooked by Dean Smith?

Right now, Villa are on a roll with Buendia out of the side. They have won their last two Premier League games against Everton and Manchester United, with Smith utilising a 3-5-2 formation. This setup does not suit Buendia, as he would prefer to operate as a winger or in the No. 10 position. Bearing this in mind, if Smith continues to stick with this system, it is hard to see how Buendia will get back into the starting line-up.

Still, Villa paid a huge fee for him a matter of months ago, and he is the club's fourth highest earner on £75,000-a-week, so Smith will want to get the best out of him at some point.

Buendia was recently left out of Argentina's squad for the upcoming international break, meaning that he is set to spend the next two weeks at Villa rather than travelling over to South America. This could be a blessing in disguise, as it will allow him to get up to speed with his teammates, and give him the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of what Smith wants from him.

During this period, the Villa boss can work on building Buendia's confidence, which could put him in a strong position to forget his early-season woes and flourish in the team later this month.