Football News: Norwich City Transfer Window Round Up

Image from: stadiumguide.com

This summer was a strange one for Norwich City, despite their promotion to the Premier League, the purse strings were kept tight and it is difficult to see any real quality improvements to the side. Is it simply that rookie manager Alex Neil believes that these are the right signings or is he being hampered by a board intent on limiting spending? It is difficult to believe that the incomings were Neil's first choice players, but the club might have struggled to attract the higher quality players.

At least they would have struggled without freeing up more money to tempt a player that would otherwise not have been keen on a move to a team likely to be, at best, fighting against relegation. Is it penny pinching or are the board just being realistic following the way they had their fingers burnt in their previous Premier League spell. They are still trying to remove some of those signed last time around from the wage bill.

This time around, even if the club does end up dropping back down, it should avoid being lumbered with huge contracts on long term deals. Whether that shows a lack of ambition or prudence depends on your point of view, either way the club are now focused on the battle to retain their place in the Premier League. So let me start by looking at the outs:

Bradley Johnson was a shock deadline day move to big spending Derby County. Johnson was a fan favourite, with his hard work highly valued by the paying public and his sale caused an uproar. To be fair to the club though, for all his very visible hard work, a lot of his running about was due to poor positional sense and a lack of quality. He was out of his depth last time Norwich were in the Prem, it made sense to take the offer in my opinion.

Cameron McGeehan has moved to Luton Town for a small fee.

Ignasi Miquel has returned to his native Spain to sign for Ponferradina on a free transfer.

Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe has gone on loan to Rotherham United.

Remi Matthews has joined Burton Albion on loan.

Mark Bunn has moved to Aston Villa on a free, swapping the back up goalkeeper position at Norwich for the same one at Villa.

Jacob Murphy has been sent to Coventry. The young winger has left behind his twin and headed out for a loan spell with Coventry City.

Javier Garrido has gone to UD Las Palmas. The Spanish left back was a fringe player in recent years and now has been let go on a free.

Kyle McFadden was released.

Carlos Cuellar is another Spaniard returning home on a free, this time to join UD Almeria.

Ricky van Wolfswinkel joins the exodus of Norwich fringe players heading out to Spain, though he has just gone on loan to Real Betis.

Anthony Andreu has moved to Rotherham United on a loan deal.

Carlton Morris has gone on loan to Hamilton Academicals in Scotland.

Michael Turner has moved to join big spending Championship side Sheffield Wednesday on a loan deal.

Now for the ins, which are an underwhelming bunch to say the least:

Robbie Brady, the Republic of Ireland left sided player has joined in the biggest deal from Hull City. A decent enough player, but is he that special player who can make a difference? Even on his best days he is little more than a grafter with a decent left foot.

Graham Dorrans made his loan deal into a permanent move from West Bromwich Albion. Another decent enough Premier League player, but not someone who you would look at as raising a team up another level.

Andre Wisdom has made the move from Liverpool on loan. The right back will be hoping to have more success than his time under Tony Pulis last season at West Brom. After starting the season as a regular, he was immediately dropped by Pulis and barely featured towards the end of the season.

Youssuf Mulumbu has arrived on a free transfer from West Bromwich Albion, to make a trio of players that were part of last season's West Brom side. The combative midfielder, like Dorrans and Wisdom, saw his chances limited under Pulis and will be looking to revive his career.

Jake Kean has arrived to replace Rudd as the back up keeper on a free from Blackburn Rovers.

Dieumerci Mbokani has joined on loan for the season from Dynamo Kyiv. It is hoped he can score the goals to keep the Canaries in the Premier League, but it might well take him time to adapt.

Matt Jarvis has also joined the club on loan, this time from West Ham United. The winger will be looking to breath fresh life into a career that has stalled badly since his move to the Hammers.

Overall there is a lot to worry Norwich fans from this transfer window. It is not just the lack of investment in quality players, with very few of the signings being once you would expect to lift the club up to a new level. Even more worrying is the amount of players brought in previously which the club have been unable to recoup anything from, not just leaving on frees, but a few still contracted and just sent out on loan to lower the wage bill.

These fringe players, on large wages, brought in by previous managers and clearly being not good enough for the side, are severely hampering the club's ability to operate in the transfer market. Not just in terms of the money available to Alex Neil to bring in players, but in terms of the fear it must engender in the board. It must have a sobering effect, seeing the money leaving the club each season to pay for players who are not good enough.

I do fear that the lessons have not been learnt from those previous signings though, as this season's incomings are also of a similar level of ability, in the main. The squad simply does not look to have the quality to do any more than struggle against relegation. Norwich will need Neil to raise performances from his players to a level way above their previous efforts if the struggle is not to be in vain.

Written by Tris Burke September 03 2015 17:40:09