The original rumour looked strange. While Jazz Richards had previous Premier League experience with Swansea, the link between the 24-year-old and Norwich was as far off as the distance between the two clubs.
Sure, the Canaries have actively shopped for a new right-back to compete, if not start over current Scotland international Steven Whittaker. Before the transfer window even opened, DeAndre Yedlin’s loan move from Tottenham was all but cemented. Then talks broke down, with the Yedlin’s final verdict indicating the American international is focused more on appearances than sleeve badges. In short, City might have lost a player to the Championship. (Yedlin is still at Spurs, but previous links have him set for a loan with the London club signing Burnley’s Kieran Trippier.)
And this is where Richards enters the mix. The Wales international appeared suitable for a role with the yellows, but not convincing enough to guarantee an immediate improvement down the right flank. Therefore, links to Norwich died down.
Yet the reality shows a similar situation to Yedlin. Richards, although also pursued by Aston Villa, decided to sign a permanent deal with Fulham in the Championship. The right-back made 14 appearances for the second tier side last season, and opted to stay at Craven Cottage where he was already comfortable. But from a Norwich perspective, the move was the sign of another player opting for the Championship instead of Premier League play.
City fans have a reason to be concerned. Both Yedlin and Richards have shown a lack in confidence had they opted to play at Carrow Road. But the two defenders offer another suggestion. Perhaps the Canaries aren’t searching for players with enough quality.
The easiest side to point to for significant offseason improvements are Sunderland. After scrapping for survival, the Black Cats have added Jermaine Lens, a gifted winger from Dynamo Kiev. In addition, they’ve signed Younes Kaboul, a centre-back from Tottenham.
A third signing, and the one most crushing to Norwich, is right-back Adam Matthews from Celtic. Matthews is a talented right-back already equipped with enough experience to grind through a Premier League season. But no move was made for the 23-year-old.
Now rumour has it Southampton are after another Celtic defender, Virgil van Dijk, who was previously linked to Norwich. This could very well be another example of a promising player swept away.
So early into the season, this isn’t a time to panic. But it’s a time to ponder. The rest of the Premier League sides have indicated they want improvement. City have hardly mustered a peep. Maybe they needed some ‘Jazz’ after all.
