With only a few weeks left of the transfer window and the free space of a No.9, it is only natural that we are being continually linked with new strikers.
But, after scoring 88 goals in the league last season, do Norwich City really need a new forward for the upcoming season?
Personally, I believe we do need a new striker. Ideally, a player who has Premier League experience of leading the line, who will raise a few eyebrows and create a buzz around Carrow Road. Similar to when we acquired our record signing Ricky van Wolfswinkel, although a few more goals would be much-welcomed. But, if we are to bring another in, he must be better than what we already have.
I think that’s perhaps why the Dwight Gayle rumours haven’t materialised; is he any better than Gary Hooper or Lewis Grabban? I don’t think so.
Gary Hooper seems to be Alex Neil’s third choice striker at the moment and many ask why as “he’s better than Grabban”. But, Alex Neil seems to favour a striker who will work the line and make runs in-behind, something that we saw from both Grabban and most notably Jerome last season.
That’s not Gary Hooper’s game and it’s why I believe he didn’t feature as much as us City fans thought he would.
He has been linked with a move away all summer, recently to Sheffield Wednesday, but after being given the No.11 for the season I believe he’ll stay. I’m hoping he does, I like him. Personally I think he’s the best finisher we have at the club and I think he still has something to offer.
Many fans were surprised at the inclusion of Grabban in last Saturday’s XI, but Jerome hasn’t been available for most of pre-season or any of the Germany/Austria tour due to a foot injury he picked up against Cambridge United earlier in the summer.
I think 90% of City fans would agree with me in saying, at the moment, Jerome is the most suitable striker we can field. He’s powerful, finished as our top scorer last season and is willing to work. His playoff heroics will have inevitably impressed Alex Neil too.
In fact, he’s definitely gained confidence since the arrival of Alex Neil and I believe you can see this in his performances and interviews.
As Neil has already publicly admitted that we are in the hunt for a striker, one or two surely have to leave. With Jerome, Grabban, Hooper, van Wolfswinkel and Lafferty as the senior strikers I believe two will go with another incoming.
van Wolfswinkel and Lafferty are the obvious choices, but they are the obvious choices for a reason. They have both failed to impress so far in a Norwich City shirt. With 2 goals combined in 43 appearances, I can’t see Alex Neil wanting to keep hold of them when we face the fight of relegation. A striker will get one or two chances a game instead of six or seven in the Championship, so we need whoever plays up-top to be clinical.
Clubs who will be around us at the end of the season are being linked with strikers who’ll add to their frontline, but we are not. For example Sunderland for Jordan Rhodes (£12m would be accepted) and Bournemouth with Glenn Murray (£3.5m bid rejected).
We have been strongly linked with Anderlecht’s Dieumerci Mbokani, but those reports have since died down.
Although it would be an ambitious signing, I’d like us to go in for QPR’s Charlie Austin. They’ve come out and said they’d accept £15m or £13m up front which is a lot of money, but with the constant increase in TV deals transfer fees increase also. That’s the price you pay if you want to elude the drop back to the Championship.
Austin has been linked to Everton and Tottenham but with both clubs yet to make a formal bid, it is still possible for us to come in.
He’d likely be wanting around 55/60k a week, which I believe we could afford. Especially if we were to sell van Wolfswinkel and Lafferty (who we could try to include in the deal to lower the transfer fee). However, there are questions as to whether this would disrupt the wage structure at the club.
As always, money massively influences transfers and gambles will always be in place which is why I think David McNally and Alex Neil are taking there time to sign the best possible player. And I’m with them on that.
With the way Alex Neil has been talking as of late, I can see a striker being brought in within a few days.
In Alex Neil we trust.
