Marco Stiepermann could be reunited with former Norwich City teammate Dennis Srbeny, with reports in Germany suggesting the midfielder is in talks with Paderborn.

The Bundesliga Two club finished ninth last season after their relegation from the top flight but head coach Steffen Baumgart moved back to the top tier with Koln.

New boss Lukas Kwasnick has told the Neue Westfalische newspaper that Paderborn have been "in contact" with Stiepermann recently.

The 30-year-old came to a mutual agreement with Norwich to end his contract a year early despite promotion to the Premier League, following a season that was disrupted by illness.

Stiepermann's exit was confirmed at the end of June, with the Borussia Dortmund youth product subsequently talking about the need to "get really healthy again" after feeling the long-term effects of coronavirus and being diagnosed with the Epstein-Barr virus.

In the past month reports had surfaced that the former Greuther Furth and Bochum midfielder was playing for amateur side Nordkirchen, where his older brother, Marcel, is a player-coach.

Now it seems a return to the German second tier could be possible, where Stiepermann made over 150 appearances prior to joining City in 2017 and going on to play an integral role in the Championship title triumph of 2018-19.

That would bring a reunion with striker Srbeny, who has scored 25 goals in 57 games since returning to Paderborn in January 2020.

Norwich head coach Daniel Farke played for the North-Rhine Westphalia club, his home region, as a striker in the 1990s.

City midfielder Lukas Rupp also had a spell with Paderborn when the club was in the Bundesliga, where he played alongside former Canaries midfielder Mario Vrancic.

The transfer window in Germany closes on the same day as in England, on Tuesday, August 31, with Stiepermann available on a free transfer after negotiating the end of his Norwich contract.

As that exit was confirmed, he told City's website: “When I first joined Norwich I never expected the amazing four years that followed.

"I have found my second family in Norfolk and I learned so much about how amazing the football club is. It’s a big family.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to experience two promotions and have been able to play in the Premier League. It has been the greatest time of my career."

All of the other players released by City since the end of last season have joined a new club, with Vrancic joining Stoke, Alex Tettey returning to Rosenborg, Moritz Leitner linking up with Swiss side FC Zurich and Louis Thompson signing for Portsmouth.

The only other player is Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, who was on a short-term deal with Norwich as cover for Tim Krul and is yet to sign for a new club.

NCFC EXTRA: Stiepermann will always be remembered at Norwich City for his superb season