Norwich City: Paddy Davitt column on transfer window

Marcelino Nunez and Gabby Sara this past week. Add a liberal dose of Adam Idah, a dash of Kenny McLean and maybe even a pinch of Angus Gunn and Josh Sargent. That is before the Jon Rowe circus gathers pace, now the bulk of Johannes Hoff Thorup’s squad is back in the building.

As much as City’s fan base might crave news of exciting additions, following on from Panamanian international José Córdoba, this feels like a summer when the hinges will swing in the opposite direction.

Genuine interest in Polish winger, Olaf Kobacki, along with Championship rivals, should be viewed in the context of the expected close season departure of Rowe.

But there are some fundamentals and faultlines to bear in mind, and reinforced publicly by both Thorup and Ben Knapper at the Dane’s recent unveiling.

Speak to the key actors inside Carrow Road and there has been an acceptance this close season’s squad makeover will tilt towards pruning rather than expanding the roster.

Knapper reiterated player trading is a choice, not a necessary evil, as he paraded his new head coach. Maybe even a badge of honour to highlight the success of previous recruitment – like an astute foray into south America - or the hothousing of academy-produced talent.

There is a financial necessity underpinning such a course of action in a self-funded, post-parachute world, where the club’s borrowing is serviced internally and tied to the increasing influence of Mark Attanasio and Norfolk Holdings.

But Norwich’s model remains one where generating revenue from player sales forms a core part of the strategy.

The nuance comes in whether City are able to do that on their terms moving forward. There have been summers where that was very much not the case, either when James Maddison departed with a degree of urgency to keep the bank manager happy.

Or last summer, when it was clear the time had come, and in all probability passed, to cash in on Max Aarons.

The problem for Knapper, and jittery City fans, is this is not, and never will be, some carefully stage-managed, choreographed ‘Football Manager’ attempt at squad revision.

Take the speculation lapping around Nunez and Sara. Trabzon and Roma, or anyone else, may be unable to get near the valuations Norwich believe are equitable for a pair who, certainly in Sara’s case, have proven they can fly higher up the football pyramid.

But depending on where you consume your fix during this past few days, both are on the cusp of holding new shirts and scarves aloft in a different setting. The reality is Nunez is embedded with Chile at the Copa America, and Sara sauntered into Colney on Friday to begin his pre-season testing.

Norwich will trade some of their saleable assets this summer. But nothing is agreed. Nothing is signed and nothing is set in stone at this early stage.

In the space between rumour and speculation you find agents and representatives acting for their clients, and/or clubs, and agendas being pushed. It is smoke and mirrors inflated by social media.

Norwich City player-of-the-year Kenny McLean is heavily tipped for a return to Scotland and Rangers (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

McLean has made no secret of his love for Rangers in the past, but would Thorup really want to lose the Scot and Gunn, and even a Grant Hanley, in his first transfer window at the club?

These are three-part dramas, where it needs two willing dance partners and the player and his representatives to concur.

In all bar the cases of Rowe and Gunn you could feasibly argue the contractual balance in each of these relevant cases tilts towards the club. McLean only signed a new, more lucrative deal last summer to keep him out of the clutches of Leeds.

It would hardly stack up for Knapper to now offload the club’s player-of-the-year for below market value.

With Rowe there can be little room for doubt all parties are willing to explore potential Premier League opportunities in the weeks ahead. There is a sense of inevitability a parting can happen this window if a suitor matches City’s valuation.

Idah and his representatives may crave a return to Celtic, where he landed a league and cup double, but Thorup could not have been any clearer he intends to assess his new charge.

Sargent’s status is a factor in that equation, given the impact of losing two of your three frontline strikers for a club who expect to be challenging for promotion even in a transition period.

If you had given Knapper a blank sheet of paper before the transfer window opened in this country on June 14, and asked him to commit to what his perfect window looked like in terms of ins and outs, you can be sure it will be different to the reality come the August 30 transfer deadline.

Whether you enjoy or endure the speculation, it is only getting started. Roll on the football.

Norwich City attacker Jon Rowe is likely to attract genuine Premier League interest this summer (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)