Norwich City: Marcelino Nunez's 2023-24 season assessed

The Norwich City midfielder was reportedly the subject of a £3million offer from the Turkish side, with club and fans dismissively swatting it away in unison.

Given the financial situation at Carrow Road and the need to make a transfer profit this summer, that speaks volumes about how far he’s come. Nunez started the campaign a simple squad option, seemingly miles behind the supremely talented Gabriel Sara and ever-reliable Kenny McLean.

Although there were decent performances in cup competitions and off the bench, it was tough to work out where he fit into David Wagner’s idiosyncratic setup. McLean and Sara were both fit enough to get from box to box all afternoon and physical enough to do the defensive side; those weren’t skills their Chilean team-mate was associated with.

His ability to cover ground was undoubted, and it was part of the reason the Canaries identified him in the first place, but with a head coach who demanded such well-rounded skills, it didn’t feel like there was a place for him.

It even felt like he could fall by the wayside, his City career stalling in the same way Liam Gibbs’ has or Bali Mumba’s did terminally. But in those brief appearances there was enough to suggest he could survive, and when the opportunity arose he took it with both hands.

After injuries to Josh Sargent and Ashley Barnes meant that Sara was pushed into an advanced position, Nunez finally got his first league start of the campaign in October 24’s 2-1 home loss to Middlesbrough. It was a night to forget for the team as a whole, but the signs were there from the diminutive midfielder.

Wagner clearly agreed, and kept him in the line-up through to November despite his featuring in dour losses to Sunderland and Blackburn. He was benched for meetings with QPR and Watford, but what followed was a performance against Bristol City that foreshadowed what was to come.

On that occasion in the south west, when Adam Idah churned out a tight 2-1 win, he was the metronome, keeping City’s attacks ticking and starving the hungry Robins of the ball.

That was the role he played from then on, adding pace to a deep setup that was ponderous without the casual confidence of Nunez’s precision passing.

By February he’d been described by his boss as the first name on the team sheet, following a season-topping curler of a free-kick that was unlucky not to win all three points at Ewood Park.

A sumptuous free-kick against Blackburn was the highlight of the Chilean's season (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

He went on to play a vital role in his side’s unlikely push for a play-off place, displaying the consistency so lacking in their campaign as a whole. Although others took the headlines, his presence was vital in a team that looked so much closer to reaching its potential.

Even in the first leg of the semi-final first leg he stood out, proving nothing in his arsenal was fallible in the face of pressure. Like many he struggled in the second leg, but his stock is at its highest nonetheless.

That’s why fans were outraged by the news that broke from Turkey, and why they won’t have to stomach Nunez’s sale for anywhere close to what was offered. Under a possession-friendly head coach the future could be bright in NR1, and supporters are desperate to see that play out.

But it’s no surprise there’s interest; much like Josh Sargent, Jonathan Rowe and Gabriel Sara he’s found that good performances mean speculation. And every man has his price.

But the 24-year-old’s is high after an impressive season and ahead of what could be an even better one. The future as yet isn’t clear, but if it’s still at Norwich City then it could be marvellous.