- Norwich City will invest decent money into a new striker this summer.
- Philippe Clement targets a specific forward profile to diversify attacking options.
- Significant squad turnover looms as several senior players prepare to exit the Carra.
Norwich City are expected to commit “decent money” to signing a new central striker this summer, with the Pink Un’s Connor Southwell also predicting significant squad turnover as Philippe Clement continues to reshape his group.
Connor, writing in a Pink Un Q&A on Monday, said he believes Clement wants a forward with a different profile to Mathias Kvistgaarden, and that the club are prepared to significantly back him in that quest.
He also flagged broader squad churn, perhaps bigger than many of us had predicted, driven by the number of players out of contract and by some “tough calls” on others.
It is the latest sign that the summer window is already starting to take shape at Carrow Road and Colney, and that it will be about more than just plugging squad gaps.
A new striker looks like a priority
The context here is obvious. Against their wishes, City had no option but to sell Josh Sargent to Toronto FC for a reported £20m in January, which freed up significant wages. They had already tested the striker market before the winter window closed, with BBC Sport reporting a bid worth 8m euros (around £7m) including add-ons for Bodø/Glimt’s Kasper Høgh.
As we know, that bid didn’t land – not least because on the day of the reported bid, the player scored twice against Manchester City – but it showed the calibre of striker they were aiming for.
Connor didn’t quote a specific budget for this summer, but “decent money” in a post-Sargent world, with that sale still relatively fresh on the books, suggests the club have a healthy budget to work with.
The “different profile to Kvistgaarden” line is noteworthy. It doesn’t necessarily mean Clement is not a fan of the £6.9m signing from Brondby, whose start was disrupted by injury. But more likely an indication that he wants variety in his striking options, with the Dane, Jovon Makama and Mo Toure all offering different things.
Departures could open space fast
The other half of Connor’s message, around the squad churn, is partly based on the current contract picture. Shane Duffy, Emi Marcondes, Jeffrey Schlupp, Tony Springett and Dan Barden are all either out of contract this summer or reliant on club options being triggered.
Marcondes is the obvious one. He told the Pink Un earlier this month that Clement and the club had made clear they would not extend his deal. “I had a conversation with Philippe, and they said they would not extend my contract this summer,” Marcondes said. “I only have three months left now, so I’m allowed to speak with other clubs, and I’ve made use of that.”
Duffy and Schlupp also appear likely to move on.
That leaves City facing a summer where several senior players depart, their wages come off the books, and offers Clement a genuine opportunity to make the squad his own.
If he is getting his own centre-forward and the chance to clear the decks, the summer window already promises to be a fascinating one.
