Norwich City's search for a central defender has proved extensive and difficult.
In recent weeks, they turned to ex-Chelsea and Crystal Palace defender Gary Cahill in an attempt to recruit an extra body into their backline but saw the experienced defender opt to look for a new club closer to his current home.
Their pursuit of Kristoffer Ajer was public and prolonged despite the peak of their interest being a £10m bid that was made in May. Since then, links have been few and far between but it remains a position they hope to add to before the window closes on August 30.
City are willing to consider short-term options to bolster their defensive ranks, whether that is either a free agent or a season-long loan. With Brandon Williams poised to complete a temporary switch from Manchester United, that would mean any loan recruit would come from abroad.
Norwich are likely to utilise at least one of their foreign loan spots for the midfield position in a similarly structured deal to what saw Dimitris Giannoulis and Ben Gibson arrive at the club.
If City do opt to sign a free agent to fill that central defensive position for this season, here are five options they could consider.
Scott Dann
Norwich City considered Gary Cahill as a potential solution to their search for a central defensive search, only for the ex-England international to prefer a move closer to his south London home.
Dann has been a vital cog in Crystal Palace's stability in the top-flight and possesses a wealth of experience that could be utilised by a club fighting for survival at the bottom of the table.
The defender arrived in January 2014 as Tony Pulis' first signing after replacing Ian Holloway at Selhurst Park. Dann played a key role in their great escape mission that season and has been a mainstay of Palace's backline throughout their eight seasons in the top-flight.
Latest reports suggest Birmingham City have made an attempt to snap up the experienced defender, but nothing is yet to be confirmed. That may provide City with an opportunity to swoop in and offer him a return to the Premier League.
Roderick Miranda
The towering defender has played in English football before and was part of the initial Portuguese wave that helped propel Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Premier League under Nuno Espirito Santo.
At 30, Miranda now finds himself without a club after spending a season with the Turkish Super League club Gaziantep.
Despite only making 17 appearances, all of which came during their crusade of the Championship in 2017/18, Miranda was highly regarded at Molineux and impressed on a loan stint away from the club at Portuguese side Famalicao two seasons ago.
Whether he would qualify for a work permit under the new regulations imposed after Brexit remains to be seen, but Miranda could offer a short term solution of top-flight experience without threatening City's starting options in Ben Gibson and Grant Hanley.
Eliaquim Mangala
A few years ago, Mangala was Manchester City's record signing after joining in a reported £32m deal from Porto in 2014.
After five years of failing to match the lofty ambitions set for him by factions of the Citizen's fanbase and coaches, Mangala departed Manchester regarded as somewhat of a flop. A loan spell with Everton came before the French international moved to Valencia.
Yet, from multi-million pound moves to finding himself on the footballing scrapheap, Mangala is looking to resurrect his career. He has failed to play more than 10 league games since the 2016/17 season and injuries have been frequent.
Add in the fact that his wage demands aren't expected to be cheap and Mangala may be somewhat of an unrealistic acquisition for the Canaries. But with a reputation for reviving careers and taking a chance on talents, maybe Norwich could provide a place for Mangala to prove his quality.
Rodrigo Ely
The 27-year-old Brazilian centre-back was most recently with La Liga outfit Alaves after two spells with AC Milan, who had been monitoring his progress since he impressed in a U15 youth tournament.
They got their man from Gremio in 2012, and had high hopes that Ely could become a San Siro regular. After loan spells with Reggina and Varese in Serie B, he signed on a permanent basis for Avelino.
An impressive season in Serie B prompted Milan to re-sign him. He made three appearances and again failed to break his way into their starting line-up consistently.
That saw him join Spanish side Alaves, initially on loan but he made it permanent a year later. Ely has been a regular in La Liga until a major knee injury ruled him out of the second half of last season, it is unknown where the defender currently is in terms of fitness. He has been heavily linked with a return to Brazil.
Mateo Musacchio
Few central defenders currently on the free agents market have played more games than 30-year-old Mateo Musacchio.
With 249 games under his belt during a seven-year stay with Spanish side Villarreal, the defender has played at the top level for a significant portion of time. Injuries have hampered his progress towards the end of his stay at the El Madrigal and after his move to Milan.
Musacchio signed a four-year deal with the Italian giants in 2017 and was thrust into the starting line-up in his second season after Leonardo Bonucci departed for Juventus. After the break for the coronavirus pandemic, surgery to his left ankle ruled him out of the remaining games of the season.
He joined Lazio in January but was unable to perform regularly, making only four appearances for them. Similarly to Mangala, Musacchio hasn't played more than five matches in a season since 2019/20.
Whether City could meet his wage demands or would be willing to take a risk on a player who, despite his proven quality, has struggled for fitness throughout his career.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here