A month in since the window officially opened and plenty of arrivals, departures and transfer speculation around Norwich City. Paddy Davitt provides a stock take and looks at what the Canaries want in the second part of the summer transfer trading.
GOALKEEPERS
OUTS: Orjan Nyland (left at the end of contract), Dan Barden (Livingston, season long loan)
IN: Angus Gunn (Southampton). Four-year deal announced in June.
LINKS: Brighton’s Christian Walton was an option City looked out. Another of their development talents, Archie Mair, has been linked to both Rochdale and Exeter after spending last season at National League neighbours King’s Lynn Town.
FULL BACKS
OUTS: Philip Heise (Karlsruher), Caleb Richards (Kidderminster)
IN: Dimitris Giannoulis (PAOK). Three-year deal announced in June after promotion triggered a permanent move following his loan spell.
LINKS: Liverpool’s Neco Williams, Brandon Williams of Manchester United and Sheffield United’s Jayden Bogle have been mentioned. Williams appears set for Southampton while Bogle is not a player City are looking at in the event they need a replacement for Max Aarons.
The right back has again been linked to Everton in the past 24 hours and earlier this summer both Tottenham and Arsenal.
Aarons returned to pre-season training last week and City have yet to receive any fresh firm interest. Development left back Rob Nizet does look set for a move to Belgian club Charleroi.
CENTRE BACKS
OUTS: Akin Famewo (Charlton, season long loan with a view to buy)
IN: Ben Gibson (Burnley). Three year deal announced in June after promotion triggered a permanent move following his loan spell.
LINKS: City have found themselves part of a saga involving Celtic’s Norwegian international Kris Ajer. A £10m bid, with add ons, last month was dismissed by the Bhoys.
City have no plans for an improved offer. Brentford have reportedly failed with a £15m package, with the Glasgow giants holding out for more.
Koln’s Sebastian Bornauw and Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo have been looked at. Joe Worrall (Nottingham Forest) has admirers inside Carrow Road but links to Worrall or Metz’s Boubakar Kouyate are speculation.
City continue to want a centre back but would not rule out using the Premier League loan route if the right player is unavailable at the right price. Andrew Omobamidele has also returned to training in tip top shape after his breakthrough last season.
CENTRE MIDFIELDERS
OUTS: Moritz Leitner (mutual agreement to end contract), Alex Tettey (left at the end of contract), Reece McAlear (Inverness, season long loan)
IN: Billy Gilmour (Chelsea, season long loan)
LINKS: Olly Skipp’s fitness return from a broken foot ahead of schedule to full training for parent club Tottenham this coming week, and the recent noises from new Spurs’ boss Nuno Espirito Santo, suggest there will be no reunion with the Canaries.
Stuart Webber made it clear at the start of the summer they would keep a space open for Skipp but Gilmour’s eye-catching arrival was the first of two potential additions in a key area of the park. Robert Andrich (Union Berlin), Thomas Delaney (Dortmund), Ozan Tufan (Fenerbahce) and highly-rated youngster Lewis O’Brien (Huddersfield) have all been linked this summer.
Webber would be well aware of O’Brien’s burgeoning reputation as he came through the Terriers’ academy.
ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS
OUTS: Marco Stiepermann (mutual agreement to end contract), Emi Buendia (Aston Villa), Mario Vrancic (left at the end of contract), Josh Martin (MK Dons, season long loan)
IN: Milot Rashica (Werder Bremen). Four year deal announced in June. Flynn Clarke (Peterborough). Three year deal (with an option) announced in June.
LINKS: Rashica flew under the radar, with the Kosovan’s deal concluded in Germany before he flew in last week for a period of quarantine, but he is not viewed as a direct replacement for Buendia.
Bournemouth’s Philip Billing is a player City like but the Cherries’ valuation will hold the key to whether that is a deal that makes sense for the Canaries. The versatile 25-year-old came through as a central midfield option but was operating further forward for the Cherries last season.
Norwich wanted a wide player who could operate in a more central attacking role at the start of the summer. Rashica may tick that box and Josh King was another option, but the financials around that type of deal made it a non starter, before he was unveiled by Watford in the last few days.
Dutch international Steven Berghuis was flagged by City’s recruitment team. Santiago Moreno (America de Cali), Brais Mendez (Celta Vigo) and Mehdi Zerkane (Bordeaux) were other attacking midfield names from the continental talent pool mentioned in the gossip columns.
Norwich continue to look at a potential further wide addition, which suggests perhaps Onel Hernandez and Przemyslaw Placheta have to convince Daniel Farke they can step up.
Ipswich’s highly-rated youngster Liam Gibbs is set for a Carrow Road switch this summer. With Buendia now at the Villans, Todd Cantwell has also been linked with Villa.
STRIKERS
OUTS: Josip Drmic (HNK Rijeka, season long loan), Sebastian Soto (FC Porto B, season long loan with a view to buy)
IN: Kenny Coker (Southend). Three year deal announced in July.
LINKS: Blackburn’s Adam Armstrong has been looked at but the feeling inside Carrow Road is any possible deal is ‘unlikely’ given Rovers’ valuation and the level of Premier League interest, reportedly headed by Southampton.
Georgios Giakoumakis (VVV Venlo) was an early summer link after plundering 26 goals in the Eredivisie last season.
Barcelona’s Martin Braithwaite arguably the most bizarre.
A forward remains on the agenda between now and the end of the window. Particularly with Jordan Hugill interesting Championship clubs.
Nottingham Forest were linked in recent days and both parties may feel the time is right in this window, with Hugill understandably wanting more game time and Teemu Pukki set to lead the line again. In addition, the expectation is Adam Idah can play a bigger role this time around.
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