Emi Buendia has reiterated his commitment to Norwich City's promotion push despite increasing speculation linking him with a move to Arsenal.
The 24-year-old is reportedly interesting the Gunners this month as Mikel Arteta's side hunt for a creative midfielder after Mesut Ozil was frozen out of the first-team picture. Buendia is in sparkling form for City and is said to be on Arsenal's list of targets.
Buendia was dropped from City's travelling matchday squad against Bournemouth in October after losing his focus due to speculation and was the subject of harsh criticism from boss Daniel Farke. The German reiterated that he was confident of holding onto his creator in chief, and now Buendia has echoed his sentiments.
"It is true that there was a lot of talk in the summer, after relegation, about the possibility that both I and other teammates could leave the team to continue in the Premier League," said the Argentinian.
"However, I always had my head in this club. I belong to Norwich, I have to do things well for my team. Tomorrow we will see, but I never had my head outside the objectives, to work so that my club does well.
"As this season unfolds, we are doing well and I am very happy to be here. We are in a good position, I am feeling important, I am adding goals and assists for my teammates."
The Canaries are hopeful of retaining Buendia during this month, but the creative midfielder is keen to return to the top-flight as soon as possible, whether that is via promotion with Norwich or courtesy of a transfer.
"I always say it. It is the best league in the world, it is the one that makes the difference at all levels," Buendia told Argentine outlet La Capital.
"Any team makes life difficult for anyone, it is very complicated. The organisational level is perfect, the stadiums have a lot of history, the conditions for playing football are ideal, there are no excuses. And the players and the teams are the best.
"I aspire to the best and work every day to get back to it, either in my team or through a transfer. Returning to the Premier League in the short term is a dream."
Meanwhile, the rampant speculation linking Buendia with the Gunners has evolved, with national newspaper the Mirror reporting that a January deal is looking unlikely due to limited funds.
The report suggests that the immediate priority is to shift the wages of unwanted players such as Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi, with short-term options more likely this month and serious investment in long-term targets to follow in the summer.
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