With a move for Hull’s Robbie Brady appearing to be an ‘all but confirmed deal’, Norwich have again been linked with another left-sided player from Serie A. And he’s not Marcos Alonso.
Italian media outlet Rai Sport have suggested City are after Inter Milan’s Yuto Nagatomo, who’s reportedly out of favour with their manager and former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini.
The 28-year-old Japanese international is another experienced left-back/midfielder hybrid Norwich manager Alex Neil is after, after links with Fiorentina’s Marcos Alonso sprouted last week.
But a lot of this rumour sounds…like a rumour.
Say Nagotomo was a serious target to land in Norwich. It would be hard to imagine a hefty transfer put down on the wide man, especially if Brady’s move to Colney is roughly £7m.
When the original bid was announced for Alonso, negotiations escalated over time and eventually led to Norwich submitting a bid. Yet his arrival never sounded convincing, largely due to the club treating Brady as its main transfer target this window. So Alonso was quietly brushed aside.
And this sets the scene for Nagatomo. City still need another left-back with Martin Olsson’s post surgery recovery. While Harry Toffolo, or even Bradley Johnson could be used in emergency situations, neither is an ideal left-back for consistent Premier League minutes. Nagatomo can play the part, but at what cost?
It’s no secret City are after a left-back. But it’s also been understandable that the newly promoted side aren’t looking to bring someone in to start over Olsson when he’s healthy. Nagatomo certainly has the credentials to suggest he’d be the fourth man in Norwich’s backline if signed.
But again, don’t look too far into it. The Eastern Daily Press reported Nagatomo has an English-based agent, which may suggest his recent links to City, as well as West Brom and Stoke.
Galatasaray, the Turkish giants, have also been in rumours but the agent was quick to drop any acquisitions with the club.
This would be a great signing, leading to more positive questions in the future than the current negative questions on the left side. But again, it’s about getting the Brady deal done first.
