The exit of Josip Drmic represents the next step in Norwich City reasserting firm control of the long-term stability of their squad ahead of the new Premier League season.

There is currently just one player expected to be part of Daniel Farke’s top-flight squad who has entered the final 12 months of their deal, which is Lukas Rupp.

The 30-year-old former Hoffenheim midfielder heads into the season looking to prove his fitness having impressed at times last season, when he wasn’t battling hamstring issues.

Otherwise, key players Todd Cantwell and Teemu Pukki are also technically into their final year but City have the option for a further 12 months, which will almost certainly be activated.

Finland star Pukki is 31 and has proved too good to be playing in the Championship so his situation is likely to depend on whether the Canaries can secure survival in the Premier League and whether he can continue to score regularly.

Cantwell’s situation is different though, at 23 years old, with transfer value potentially depreciating if he enters the final year of his deal – unless he were to enjoy a particularly fruitful campaign for his hometown club.

Stuart Webber acknowledged it was a situation he was well aware of and stressed much was likely to depend on Cantwell’s desires and whether any big-money bids arrived for the former England Under-21 international during the transfer window.

The first half of Cantwell’s last season was disrupted by being dropped due to transfer distractions, amid interest from Leeds, and a hip injury, but the ‘Dereham Deco’ returned in style and racked up six goals and eight assists in 34 games to play a major role in the second Championship title triumph of his career.

“That's something we'll look at, as and when we need to, but we're obviously aware of it,” City’s sporting director said in May. “But it'll be important to see what happens over this summer.

“What you get with Todd is, being a local lad, a high level of loyalty, to the club. He's been well looked after by the club and given a great opportunity. I think the beauty of having a long time with these guys is you get to know them a bit better, maybe.”

Otherwise, Webber has already made significant progress in moving on the players deemed surplus to requirements who still had a year remaining on their contracts.

Switzerland striker Drmic yesterday returned to Croatian side Rijeka on a season-long loan, effectively ending his unsuccessful Norwich career, with City likely to have received a small loan fee and ensured at least some of the 28-year-old's wages were covered.

That follows similar resolutions with midfielder Moritz Leitner and left-back Philip Heise.

Leitner hadn’t been out on loan so the 2019 title winner had spent the last 18 months in the background but a mutual agreement finished his contract to allow the 28-year-old to look for a new opportunity.

Heise, 30, only made one appearance for City and had spent the last 18 months on loan in the German second tier. A permanent solution was confirmed as he joined loan club Karlsruher on a free transfer.

Marco Stiepermann shook hands on a similar mutual agreement to Leitner but was in a different situation, parting ways after an illness-affected campaign which at times left him on the fringes of Farke’s team.

With the 30-year-old having struggled for form in the Premier League during 2019-20, it’s believed both parties agreed it was best to go their separate ways a year early.

It leaves Timm Klose and Tom Trybull in similar situations, after loans at Basel and Blackburn respectively, with little prospect of a return to contention at Norwich in the final year of their contracts.

City do have the option for a further year in Trybull’s deal but that is unlikely to be activated and fellow midfielder Louis Thompson is in the same situation, with the 26-year-old still striving for full fitness after his injury problems while with MK Dons in League One last season.

Grant Hanley, Kieran Dowell, Jacob Sorensen, Kenny McLean, Onel Hernandez and Jordan Hugill all have two years remaining, as do Sam Byram, Josh Martin and Michael McGovern.

Christoph Zimmermann’s current contract is also due to expire in 2023, although there is an option for a further year.

There’s currently two other rather important contracts due to expire next summer as well of course, those of Webber and Farke.

However, Webber has assured City fans that Farke is likely to sign fresh terms this summer and has opened the door for him potentially staying on beyond 2022 as well, following the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit on European football.