The EFL football season has now finished (bar playoffs) with Players and Coaches getting a well-deserved rest, but Sporting Directors and Owners now have, what feels like their own season of negotiating and making player signings, that starts (pretty much) right now!
More specifically, Ben Knapper, Norwich City Sporting Director, will face this exact challenge, as the Canaries go through, yet another re-build. Even so, it won’t just be trying to attempt to sign players to boost this squad, but it’s also the challenge to try to find a new manager for the club. Let’s just stick with five players, that could come through the door and realistically could happen, that Norwich simply need, as of right now.
To give some criteria to these ‘simply need’ player signings, these are some of the players who we know are leaving the club:
Onel Hernández, Left-Winger
Angus Gunn, Goalkeeper
Jacob Sørensen, Central Midfielder
Jonathan Tomkinson, Centre Back
Archie Mair, Goalkeeper
Callum Doyle, Centre Back (returning back to loan club – Man City)
Fans may see Jacob Wright who’s also on loan from Man City, actually sign a permanent deal with Norwich. Talks are currently ongoing between the two. The same goes with Lewis Dobbin who’s on loan from Aston Villa, who may look to also sign permanently.
Rumours will be rumours, but they may have some actual truth behind them – both Josh Sargent and Borja Sainz, are two popular must-have signings for many clubs, in and out of the country. Could the Canaries see the two leave, and if so, surely we see Norwich ruthless enough to ensure they leave for a high price, to allow the club to have the funds to experiment with in the Transfer Window.
Let’s dive into our 5 targets:
Charlie Kelman
Current Club: Leyton Orient (On Loan from QPR)
Position: Striker
Age: 23
Citizenship: USA
The Essex-born Forward has really found some form since being on loan at Leyton Orient, this season. It’s been the perfect relationship for both player and club – Charlie Kelman picks up an individual player honour, as he’s League One’s top goal scorer this season and Leyton Orient are in the play-offs and have a chance to return to the second highest division of English Football, for the first time since 1995. It’s been 21 goals in 46 games that’s got Kelman a trophy to take back for his own personal accolade. QPR will take him back in open arms, but would hear clubs out for an offer for the US-representative footballer.
Perhaps one American out for another to come straight in?
There’s without a doubt a sense as to why Norwich should look to sign a forward, with the rumours that’ll be on non-stop repeat this summer: Josh Sargent may be leaving the club. We’re going nothing on the basis of what Josh has said, or even the club, but other competitors will have their eyes on getting him, like his old gaffer – Daniel Farke, as the rumours read Leeds United are interested. Something that we see from Sargent, that’s similar to Kelman’s playing ability, is that remarkable footballing intelligence. They are two forwards that preserve their own energy and are able to make their own space through good turns with the ball, allowing it to roll, giving them that unused stamina for it to be used for the vital final third instead. We’ve seen goals like that this season from Kelman at Orient; being able to literally solely do the work himself, a lot of the time, without needing that playmaker. Doing this all over again next season in the Championship, will be his next challenge. At just 23 years old, he’s only getting better in my eyes.
As of right now, Norwich are a sunken club in the Championship, no different to QPR, themselves. But, if the Canaries offer a good amount, QPR would look to sell, is the general understanding. £500K would be a realistic valuable offer for the forward, but if Norwich have to go higher to please QPR, then we’d surely see this.
No rumours here between the two parties, but Charlie Kelman, I believe, would make a good addition to the East Anglian side.
Freddie Woodman
Current Club: Preston North End
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 27
Citizenship: England
If there was a chance that Woodman signs a contract extension, then Preston fans would bite your arm off for it, right now! A goalkeeper, who’s always been under the radar. He’s never really had much of a chance in the Premier League to prove himself. So far, he’ll go down as a Championship goalkeeping great, without a doubt…
The rumours read that Man United are interested in signing him on a free as their third-choice goalkeeper, for their campaign next season. If it’s not the case, then Norwich need a new goalkeeper, and with a chance to offer him first-team football and a like for like (if not an even better replacement) as Angus Gunn’s successor.
It’s a perfect and safe choice here. We all know Woodman can handle Championship opposition, he’s been doing that in fashion with his current club Preston and previously with Swansea. He has some fantastic individual achievements with the most number of clean sheets with North End, in the 2020-21 campaign and also at the U-20 2017 World Cup with England. Getting him on a free seems criminal, but Norwich need a new Goalkeeper, and ideally one who’ll be the number one choice, too…
It might not be a season with the most clean sheets, but Woodman has still had a great campaign. He was a big contributor in Preston’s win against Middlesbrough, at the start of the year. Freddie also put on a strong performance against Sunderland in November last year, getting a clean sheet against the Black Cats. Truthfully, it might not be as impressive as previous seasons, but Woodman was able to wrap-up 13 clean sheets in 37 games, this season. We have to see this goalkeeper continue to play first-team football, rather than being a third-choice at Man United, if these rumours are to be true, being bench-warmer at the Red Devils would waste a good keeper.
The added quality of Woodman is a necessity for Norwich. They’ve sunk into the Championship, facing the same struggles as West Brom and Watford, which is the inability of getting into them playoff spaces. It can’t continue like this and Ben Knapper needs to seriously activate a powerful rebuild and bringing Freddie Woodman into the club would do just that. Can they beat-off other clubs for him?
No hope of going up against Man United for a player…
To keep this short, but failing to get Woodman, and perhaps a more realistic signing would be Josh Keeley from Tottenham’s Under-21s. Spurs have Keeley in mind for their own future plans, they see him playing for the first team in the future. The approach Norwich could go for, could be getting him on loan, just like Leyton Orient were able to do in the season we’ve just seen.
To sum him up in one sentence: An extremely great moden rush goalkeeper, who’s really good with his feet but needs to be tested in the Championship to progress him forward as a goalkeeper. 21-years of age, with 16 clean sheets in 36 games in League One this season. I think he needs the test of Championship football now, and Norwich could be his next destination and a loan deal, with an option to buy, makes complete sense. Battling to be the number one for Tottenham, is the true challenge, but if he feels he achieves more playing time by going to Norwich, or any Championship club for that matter, then he shouldn’t shy away from making a permanent move there.
Wherever he goes, this player has a lot of potential for the future!
Amadou Mbengue
Current Club: Reading FC
Position: Central Defender
Age: 23
Citizenship: Senegal
Reading have had a season with highs in such unexpected fashion, given the attention being on Dai Yongge and the fans persisting on him to sell from minute one, this season. These dark days seem to now have gone and brighter ones are for the hopeful future for all Reading fans, right now, as Rob Couhig has purchased the club at the start of this month, but does now have the challenge to try and financially extend contracts to the 17 players who, at this moment in time, are to become free agents in this next Summer Transfer Window.
One of those talented players, and one who in my mind, makes sense for a Championship club like Norwich to make a move for, is defender Amadou Mbengue. Himself, and Tyler Bindon, have provided the reassurance that a lot of Reading fans needed this season, showing the strength they both hold as a defensive duo. They’ve been nothing but impressive and, as I say, the move that feels right, right now, is Mbengue to level-up to the Championship and Norwich City need to bolster their defence, indefinitely.
Amadou has that typical strength to make you a stand-out player in League One, but most certainly, the expected strength in the Championship. That, and along with his quick agility and pace, makes him a complete nuisance for the opposition. Yes, he is quick. A lot of the time this season, he’s come out of the defensive area and pranced up the field, putting heated pressure on his opposition. Given how fast he is, tracking back isn’t an issue and once he’s back, he’ll have a say in the matter with a tackle, to try and win the ball back for his team.
There’s some versatility that comes with the defender too. It makes complete sense, as he can play right-back and could even go further up as a central defensive midfielder. This is because of his good footwork, he gets out of tricky one-on-one situations, he has great determination and travels with the ball so well, whether it’s dribbling it up the field, or his precise long-balls. Championship clubs have already stated their interest in the past for Mbengue. Both Blackburn Rovers and Watford supposedly have got their eyes locked on to him and It’s not hard to see why. The defender deserves this move up to the Championship.
Mbengue signed a two-year extension, when? Two-years ago. He’s one of the 17 players that hasn’t been given the chance to extend his contract at Reading. Could Norwich be a team to snatch the defender up, before we see him go elsewhere, for exactly nothing. Not a single penny needed here!
Derry Scherhant
Current Club: Hertha BSC
Position: Left Winger
Age: 22
Citizenship: Germany
We look to go overseas for this player here, as Derry Scherhant who’s looked impressive during his time at Hertha Berlin, would be an incredible player to bring into the club. Out of all five players, it’d be the hardest player to bring in, with how much Hertha value him.
This position is crucial to look at for Norwich and it isn’t even purely down to Onel Hernández exiting the club, but the amount of eyes from outside clubs on the great Borja Sainz. Norwich will struggle to keep him, but a good replacement if the club does see the player leave (for a hopeful large transfer fee), is Derry Scherhant. The 22-year old is highly valued by Hertha Berlin, but can a large fee convince not just him but the club, to turn their minds and allow him to leave.
Why Derry Scherhant? Who even is he?
Derry has been at Hertha since 2020, as he’s seen minutes for the Under 19 side, Hertha Berlin’s B team and got the deserved move to the senior team in 2022. He’s experienced mid table finishes with Hertha, as they still struggle to get out of Germany’s second division, and have done since 2023. Despite all this, it’s still been a good season for the winger, who, a lot of the time has been experimented as a centre forward in this second half of the season, due to others underperforming. To get the best out of him though, you need to see him as a left winger, as he’s played 18 times in that position this season and scored 6 goals and assisted two for his team.
The main participant to him functioning to high-form, is his exceptional knowledge and vision to position himself and dominate effective areas on the pitch that allows him to test the keeper. This, alongside with his incredible ability to score from long-range, is a beautiful blend that’s got so many clubs wanting to sign him. Being the age he is, it’s fair to say he will and can only get better.
Norwich have searched and succeeded with German players before. Derry could be one of them. This is a typical signing that should be made, if Norwich unfortunately see Borja go elsewhere. Selling him for a large amount and converting that to buying Derry, is at a priority in my eyes, or he’d certainly be a good contender and a realistic one if Norwich were to replace him.
However, it’s the one that’s a pipedream if you were to call it one, out of these five ideal signings. Hertha would need to see a big fee, if any club were to try and sign the German winger. Can Norwich do that?
Ricky-Jade Jones
Current Club: Peterborough
Position: Left-Wing/Centre-Forward
Age: 22
Citizenship: English
Out of all five, this is the one that could become reality, given Norwich showed their interest in wanting Ricky-Jade Jones, as they enquired about him in the January transfer window. It’d be a battle to get him against what seems to be Cardiff City, who also want to sign him, although the Bluebirds have just been relegated to League One. Norwich have the one-up against the South Wales side, as they still have their EFL Championship status. Does Ricky want to repeat another campaign of League One football, or will he look to go to the Championship?
Getting the upgrade to play in the Championship, is one factor to the sense in this transfer. The other is him being a free agent. Peterborough wished to extend his contract, but Ricky has rejected this. His future is unclear right now as Cardiff did actually bid for the 22-year old, but the club turned this down.
The point of interest in wanting to sign Ricky, is his versatility and the lighting speed he can show off with, when you give him his attacking position. His pace and agility is NOT a joke. The Sun reported that he’s recorded top speeds of 23.3mph before, which has been considered the fastest in world football. It’s suggested he’s faster than a lot of top-profile players, the likes of Haaland and Mbappe. We need to see this in more detail in the Championship and Norwich need to materialize on the interest they have for him.
There’s been a need for him to play as a centre-forward this season, from the dynamics of the club, but allowing someone else to be the man at the top and Ricky to play in (what I think) is his more stronger position as left-winger, is something Norwich can really utilise. Saying that, Ricky can play that central role in the attack. That’s clear and obvious. He has this smooth finishing ability, performing brilliantly in crucial one-on-one moments against the keeper.
Again though, how unbelievably fast he is, shows truth to the lesson in football: Pace hurts defence. Ricky has more time on his hands on the pitch, because the defence are always a few seconds behind him. An underrated talent, but will we see him in the Championship?
All Norwich realistically need for Ricky to perform, are playmakers. Give Ricky the ball, and he’ll simply do the rest! He has a wicked left foot, but the right foot seems to have the same wickedness, too. It’s 10 goals and 3 assists for him in 46 games this season. Undoubtedly, the challenge for him is levelling-up to the Championship. Norwich taking him under their own wing to further him as a footballer, could be an impeccable duo.
Who do you think the Canaries could target this summer? Let us know in the comments!
