Exclusive: Norwich City told to strike deal for £19k-a-week star - He'd be a "great fit" | OneFootball

Norwich City have been backed to continue pursuing Swansea City defender Harry Darling

Harry Darling has been linked with a move to Norwich City following the expiration of his contract at Swansea City.

According to the Pink Un, Birmingham City and Wrexham are also interested in the defender alongside Norwich.

The Canaries’ new boss, Liam Manning, previously worked with Darling during their time together at MK Dons, which could give the East-Anglian side an advantage in the race for the 25-year-old’s signature.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit and former Aston Villa midfielder, Lee Hendrie, believes that Darling would be an excellent addition for Norwich.

Lee Hendrie gives seal of approval over Norwich’s interest in Harry Darling

“I think he'd be a good signing for Norwich,” said Hendrie. “He's 25 years of age and I've seen a fair bit of him. I've seen him at MK Dons, I've seen him at Swansea where I felt that he's grown in stature.

“Norwich are going through a bit of a rebuild, and they need fresh players in the door defensively.

“That has probably been their Achilles’ heel over the past few seasons. I think he'd be a great fit for Norwich, but I also think he could fit the bill for Birmingham City as well. They seem to be splashing the cash and trying to bring players in.

“But for me, I think he'd really suit Norwich. They’re a good football club and given the style that they play, I think he would certainly fit them and fit in quite nicely.”

Liam Manning could get the best out of Harry Darling at Carrow Road

Darling will likely start at all clubs in the division that are linked with him, so potential playing time shouldn’t play a huge role in his decision-making process.

Therefore, if presented with the option to link back up with a manager with whom he previously had a good relationship, that could be the deciding factor in where the defender moves next.

Manning hasn’t been shy to praise Darling in the past, speaking highly of the centre-back, who is estimated to earn £19k-a-week at Swansea, when he exited MK Dons.

“Harry goes with our best wishes and I'm sure he'll continue to go on an upward trajectory," he told MK's official club channels in August 2022.

“He had a tremendous season with us and I cannot speak highly enough of him, firstly as a person and as a player. As everyone knows, this is what this club is about and we showed we can manage it last summer with Twiney coming in for Scott Fraser, and then we showed it again in January."

Norwich City’s new boss could harness Darling’s obvious ability and use it to help fix the club’s defensive woes. The Canaries conceded 68 goals last term - the fifth-highest in the division.

Playing under a manager who believes in you can do magical things for a player’s confidence and often leads to the committed performances that pay dividends in the Championship.

As a result, a move to Carrow Road under Manning would be ideal for Darling this summer.