An immediate return to the Premier League is the objective for Norwich City, but they needed to do more in the transfer window.
Norwich manager Alex Neil
Alex Neil will only have himself to blame next May if the Canaries miss out on promotion to the Premier League.
Having suffered relegation to the Championship for the second time in three seasons, City could return to the promised land for the first time of asking for the second successive attempt.
While the squad is not much different to the side that won the play-off final in 2015, the competition in the Championship has become far greater.
Relegated duo Newcastle United and Aston Villa have spent remarkable amounts as they attempt an immediate return, yet Norwich have been more cautious.
Aston Villa spent money on their front-line, signing Ross McCormack for £12 million and Jonathan Kodjia for £11 million
One decision that may come back to haunt them is the decision not to offer Ross McCormack a more lucrative deal. Regarded as one of the most consistent strikers at this level, the ex-Leeds captain chose Villa over City in a £12 million deal from Fulham.
City’s most-expensive signing this summer has been 23-year-old attacking midfielder Alex Pritchard, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur for £8 million.
After seeing the previous deal for McCormack scuppered by Villa; City came in at the 11th hour to hijack Pritchard’s move to Brighton, with delays on the M25 playing in their favour.
Alex Pritchard was name in the PFA Team of the Year after 12 goals in 45 appearances in the Championship for Brentford
Pritchard impressed in the Championship whilst on loan to Brentford in 2014-15 but has made just one appearance off the bench for Norwich this season, a disappointing impact thus far considering the price tag.
The £11 million raised from Nathan Redmond’s sale to Southampton, along with the parachute payments received from the Premier League, make the fact Norwich have signed just one marquee signing another disappointment.
That departure of Redmond, however, should not be too much of an issue, given the £2.5 million arrival of Liverpool youngster Sergi Canos.
Nathan Redmond remained in the Premier League with Southampton and made his debut against a Manchester United side featuring the world’s most expensive player, Paul Pogba
Along with Canos, 25-year-old Portuguese striker Nelson Oliveira has arrived at Carrow Road, joining from Benfica for £5 million according to leading football website transfermarkt. Oliveira spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest, scoring nine goals in the Championship.
City did attempt to sign Jerome Sinclair on loan from Watford on deadline day, but the move broke down on Wednesday evening. Sinclair is a new arrival at Vicarage Road, having signed from Liverpool for £4 million in an attempt to gain first-team opportunities.
Watford beat Norwich to the signing of Stefano Okaka from Anderlecht and Sinclair had dropped down the pecking order under Walter Mazzarri.
Jerome Sinclair in action against Alvaro Arbeloa in a Steven Gerrard charity match last summer
The Canaries did hold on to Scotland international Steven Naismith after interest from Sunderland and his former manager David Moyes, for whom he played in the coach’s final season at Everton. Naismith had been training with the Scotland squad and had instructed his agent to broker a deal, only for it to collapse.
Jordan Rhodes and former loan player Dieumerci Mbokani had been mooted for moves to Carrow Road, but Rhodes stayed at Middlesbrough and Mbokani has returned to the Premier League with Hull City.
Despite the shambles in recruiting a striker, Neil has done well to move on those deemed surplus to requirements. Once the club’s record-signing, Ricky van Wolfswinkel has returned to Holland for just £500k, Belgium international Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe will be up against Real Madrid in the Champions League having joined Legia Warsaw, and Gary O’Neil has signed for Bristol City.
Goalkeepers Declan Rudd and Remi Mathews have left on loan, as has left-back Harry Toffolo despite being involved in the first-team throughout the first month of the season.
Young midfielder James Maddison has also left on loan, joining SPFL side Aberdeen.
Norwich have simply not invested enough this summer and will struggle to score enough goals. Kyle Lafferty remains a Canary despite interest from Cardiff City, Palermo and a late bid from Reading. If Neil does not like him, then he should have sent him packing a long time ago.
Kyle Lafferty’s miserable spell at Carrow Road is set to continue after a late move to Reading broke down
Maddison and Toffolo had performed well when required to so far this season, and though they will now get first time football elsewhere, they could have contributed in the Championship.
Norwich lost chief executive David McNally earlier in the year, who had gained a reputation for completing some shrewd business in the transfer market. His replacement, Jez Moxey, felt the wrath of Wolves fans during their successive relegations from the Premier League, and though it is not likely City will follow a similar course, Moxey can expect criticism after a poor transfer window in his first summer in East Anglia.
Transfer window grading 5/10
In: Alex Pritchard, £8 million (Tottenham Hotspur); Nelson Oliveira, £5 million (Benfica); Sergi Canos, £2.55 million (Liverpool); Paul Jones, free (Portsmouth); Michael McGovern, free (Hamilton).
Out: Nathan Redmond, £11 million (Southampton); Ricky van Wolfswinkel, £500k (Vitesse); Jake Kean, free (Sheffield Wednesday); Gary O’Neil, free (Bristol City); Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe, free (Legia Warsaw); Remi Mathews, loan (Hamilton); Declan Rudd, loan (Charlton Athletic); Harry Toffolo, loan (Scunthorpe United); James Maddison, loan (Aberdeen); Tony Andreu, loan (Dundee United).
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