Norwich City transfer rumours: Newcastle United’s Grant Hanley on City’s radar

Newcastle United outcast Grant Hanley is being touted with a Canaries’ switch ahead of Thursday’s transfer deadline day.

City are in the market for defensive reinforcements after a woeful start to the new Championship campaign under Daniel Farke. Norwich shipped four goals at Millwall on Saturday to go into the international break with the leakiest backline in the second tier.

The Newcastle Chronicle claimed on Tuesday morning the 25-year-old is surplus to requirements and Rafa Benitez needs to offload fringe players to generate funds to bolster his plans for the Premier League.

Hanley has made just one senior appearance this season for the Magpies in a 3-2 League Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest and played a minor role in Newcastle’s Championship title success last season.

The Scottish international moved to St James’ Park in July 2016 on a five year contract from Blackburn for an undisclosed fee, reportedly in the region of £5.5m. Hanley is currently on international duty alongside Russell Martin and Steven Naismith preparing for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania and Malta.

Farke would welcome fresh faces ahead of Thursday’s deadline and the Canaries have been strongly linked to Bristol City’s Aden Flint in recent days after previously tracking Premier League duo Jake Salter-Clarke and Krystian Bielik.

City have signed central defensive pair Marcel Franke and Christoph Zimmermann since Farke’s arrival, along with Sean Raggett who has returned to Lincoln City on loan until the New Year.