Chris Lakey Paul Lambert admits he may have to turn to 'Plan B' as time begins to run out on his bid to bring loan goalkeeper Fraser Forster back to Carrow Road next season.

Chris Lakey

Paul Lambert admits he may have to turn to 'Plan B' as time begins to run out on his bid to bring loan goalkeeper Fraser Forster back to Carrow Road next season.

The Canaries boss says he has been in constant contact with Newcastle boss Chris Hughton since the end of last season, when Forster performed heroics as City swept to the League One title.

Hughton has yet to decide on Forster's next move, but Lambert is keen to get at least two new signings in before taking the squad to Germany for a training camp a week on Sunday. And if there is no straight answer from St James Park, then Lambert may have to opt out of the deal which was top of his summer shopping list.

“I can't leave it much longer, that's for sure,” said Lambert, who completed his first sale yesterday after agreeing a deal with Brentford for Michael Spillane. “I have been on the phone with Chris virtually since the season ended so we have to wait and see.

“We have to try and keep the options open. You can't just concentrate on one thing because he is not our player, he is Newcastle's player and he is going to be a top goalkeeper.

“It's not as easy as some people think and we just have to wait and see. There is no doubt Fraser is going to be a huge goalkeeper.

“Newcastle have another goalkeeper there who is in really good form. We can't do anything if other teams come in for him. There are loads of factors to it, it's not just easy saying we are going to get him and some managers saying he must be coming back to Norwich. There are millions of things that can go wrong and basically he is Newcastle's player.”

Teenager Declan Rudd is currently the most senior keeper on the books, but Lambert has prevented him from joining an England Under-19s training camp at Warwick University this week, although he has made him available for the European Championship in France from July 18-30.

“He is not going to go to their training camp, because I think he has played too much football anyway,” Lambert said.

“He needs a break and he's with us at the minute, but I will let him go to the tournament.

“It's a great thing for him to go and do, somebody as young as he is and doing as well as he is doing. I think the FA have the ruling anyway to take him and I don't think it would be right to stop him going.