Transfer window has started a great reset for Norwich City

Change was expected. Change has been delivered. Eight additions have walked through the door, and nine senior players have exited. Now the horse trading has stopped, Thorup has a chance to attack the Championship campaign. 

It has been a window that built up quietly. Frustrated by the European Championships and those towards the top of the game waiting patiently or dealing with profit and sustainability deadlines has increased the amount of action packed into the final month of trading. 

City were long prepared for this window. It has represented the opportunity to shift the squad and begin work on a new strategy for the long-term. 

Not everything has gone as intended. There have been hurdles. Only time will tell, but it's hard not to look at the adversity faced and feel City have emerged well, but not perfectly, in the circumstances. 

This is the start of a new era fronted by Knapper and Thorup. It is centred around a brave new playing style where youth are handed opportunities to be the leading protagonists. It is not wholly their squad, but it is flavoured with people recruited to kickstart the implementation of their strategy. 

But this was only ever phase one. There is an acceptance that this is a multi-window and, as a by-product, a multi-season project as mapped out by assistant head coach Glen Riddersholm during an exclusive Pink Un podcast in Austria earlier in the summer. 

With changes comes the need for patience. Rarely in this game does it all gel instantly or spark without teething issues. The feeling internally was that the first month of the campaign was going to contain challenges and that this will be a slow burner. 

Yes, City look a touch light in wide areas. Yes, there are concerns about the lack of a proper, physical option in the centre of midfield. Yes, there is a lot of hoping that players reach the level. 

However, there can be no denying the thread at the heart of City's business this summer—a strategy of recruiting younger talent. Anis Ben Slimane, at 23, is their oldest signing in a window that included four 20-year-olds, an 18- and 19-year-old, and a 21-year-old. 

Anis Ben Slimane was Norwich City's oldest summer signing at 23. (Image: Norwich City/Matthew Usher)

That is in stark contrast to last summer, when City signed six players who would turn 30 by the end of the season. Their squad, at its peak, had 11 players in that particular age group, some of them on multi-year deals that are still in play. As a long-term strategy for a club reliant on player trading, that isn't sustainable. 

At the start of the window, Knapper had a few priorities: lower the age group, recoup significant fees for outgoing players, and add players with potential to the squad. It's hard to argue that the bulk of those have been achieved and then some. 

Earlier in the summer, there were genuine fears that top talent would be lost without the resources to replace it sufficiently. 

The altering of City's shareholding mix and further involvement from the Mark Attanasio-led Norfolk FB Holdings coupled with hefty fees from player sales has seen them freer to shape the squad as they wished this summer. 

To be in a position to spend £8.5m on Ante Crnac is a testament to how much the situation has altered at Carrow Road in the last few months. City have planned for all eventualities and tried to be diligent in their recruitment. 

All of those arriving had been watched for a significant period of time by City's technical scouting team. Dossiers had been built up and were acted upon - that extensive archive allowed them to shift through targets pretty readily, such was the case with Crnac when Bertug Yildirim fell through. 

But it has also been with Thorup's desired system and game model in mind. They haven't recruited a bustling number six because they feel it is redundant in his approach.

Equally, the strategy regarding departures was clear. They were happy to trade, but only on their terms. The fees to take Gabriel Sara to Galatasaray, Adam Idah to Celtic, Jonathan Rowe to Marseille, and Abu Kamara to Hull are all considered inside the game to be well above market value. 

City also wanted to send a clear message to buying clubs, agents and even players within those negotiations - that they held the cards. Even in high-profile sagas such as Idah or Rowe, Knapper made it a personal mission to dig in his heels and ensure the Canaries' valuation was met despite that coming to the detriment of dressing room harmony. 

Ante Crnac joined Norwich for a fee of £8.5m. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

That stance is important for future windows as Knapper attempts to return City to a club that wants to trade players. Selling talent forms a key pillar of the core strategy for the future. 

City's squad is light in some areas, which partially proves the work that is still to be done in future windows. Equally, it provides opportunities for young talent to show their worth in Thorup's squad, as Gabe Forsyth has already shown. 

Now, the squad can settle down. Every player, member of staff and supporters are acutely aware of the make-up of their group. No more dramas, sagas or disruptions. For Thorup, it will be the first time as City boss when that has been the case. 

The hope is that the green shoots of performances witnessed in recent weeks can now accelerate and become more consistent after the international break. 

Instead of speculation, heads being turned or wandering eyes, Norwich now have a squad they know will be in Norfolk until January at least. For most, the season truly begins now. 

This is the start of City's great reset under Knapper and Thorup. Now it's time to see some further forward steps being taken on the pitch whilst results arrive.