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City unhappy at ‘derisory’ Liverpool offer for Lewis
Norwich City Jamal Lewis has been the subject of interest from Liverpool Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Norwich City rejected out of hand what the Canaries felt was a ‘derisory’ £10m offer from Liverpool for Jamal Lewis.
The Merseysiders tabled an opening bid, believed to be £8m plus a further £2m in potential add ons, late on Wednesday evening via email, but that was immediately dismissed, before news of the Reds’ approach and knock back surfaced on Thursday afternoon.
City’s sporting director, Stuart Webber, had previously made it clear the Canaries will not sell any of their best talent unless potential suitors match the club’s valuations - and that remains the firm stance at Carrow Road in the weeks ahead.
The Canaries believe Lewis is worth considerably more than £10m, with the 22-year-old homegrown prospect under contract until 2023.
Liverpool will need to return with a realistic offer for the Northern Irish international for the Canaries to consider sanctioning the defender’s exit in this transfer window.
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City are under no pressure to sell, even allowing for a projected £12m hit to the club’s finances due to the impact of football’s coronavirus shutdown last season.
The same applies to any of the club’s best young talent, with Max Aarons, Ben Godfrey and Emi Buendia all touted with summer moves since the end of the Premier League season.
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Lewis’ newly-appointed international boss, Ian Baraclough, had earlier on Thursday given his blessing to a prospective move to the Premier League champions.
“You want to have as many players playing at the highest level and we don’t have enough,” he told the BBC. “If Jamal was to go there to work with the likes of Jurgen Klopp and the squad he has assembled it would be a massive boost to his career.
“He’s been playing regularly for two years at Norwich. He’s played to a standard that he’s now a regular and they’ve been relegated,” he added.
“If the move goes through for Jamal it would be very exciting - it’s a move that I wouldn’t be able to turn down - going to the newly crowned Premier League champions.
“Why wouldn’t you want to go to Liverpool and sign for them?”
