2 players who could follow Borja Sainz out of Norwich City in 2025 | OneFootball

FLW looks at a trio of players who could leave Carrow Road at some point this year

Norwich City's form has picked up under Johannes Hoff Thorup of late, after what was an inconsistent start to life for the Danish boss at Carrow Road.

The former FC Midtjylland head coach has looked to change the culture of his squad in Norfolk, with an emphasis on recruiting highly-rated young players who have a strong current and future potential to grow with the club.

This has been reflected in deals such as an £8.5m+ deal for Ante Crnac from Raków Częstochowa, and the addition of Amankwah Forson for less than £4m from RB Salzburg - with the midfielder scoring his first goals for the club against Coventry City last weekend.

Despite the fact Norwich now find themselves just four points behind West Bromwich Albion in the final play-off place, the exact spot the Canaries finished in last term under David Wagner, there has already been plenty of talk regarding incomings and outgoings in East Anglia, with the most notable being Ashley Barnes' return to Burnley.

Departures will no doubt remain a relatively strong focus at Carrow Road, and with that being said, Football League World looks at three players who could leave the club over the course of this calendar year.

Borja Sainz

Kickstarting this trio is Norwich's standout player so far this campaign, in the form of Spanish maestro, Borja Sainz.

After joining from Turkish outfit Girusenspor in June 2023, the forward enjoyed a strong first season in the Championship, playing alongside fellow creative outlet, Jonathan Rowe and the clincical finisher that is the USMNT international, Josh Sargent.

A return of six goals and two assists in his maiden campaign for the Yellows, there was plenty of excitement surrounding the 23-year-old at the start of the season, with much more of an onus on his ability after Rowe's departure to Marseille.

Sainz has delivered, and then some, with a remarkable return of 15 goals and three assists in the league thus far, although it is somewhat of a blessing in disguise for Hoff Thorup that the division's top scorer has only yielded one assist in his last eight outings.

That is because of murmurings in November that Sainz was open to a return to Türkiye with Galatasary, after previous rumours hinting of interest from Athletic Bilbao.

And, although Norwich have previously outlined their stance in proceedings, which is that the winger is staying put in Norfolk, if the Spaniard can emulate his prior form, it could be hard to maintain his services in the summer, with his contract only lasting until 2026.

Grant Hanley

Club captain Grant Hanley is next, with the Scot the subject of interest this window, despite Hoff Thorup's rather mixed stance on potential developments.

The 33-year-old defender has captained Norwich to two promotions to the Premier League since joining from Newcastle United in 2017, making over 195 appearances for the club in the process.

However, since their most recent return to the Championship, Hanley has endured a barren run of luck, with an achilles injury in the spring of 2023 keeping him sidelined for eight months, before sustaining another issue in the latter stages of last season, which saw him make just 12 appearances.

And, despite being available for every game under the Danish head coach, Hanley has only made a handful of appearances across all competitions, and could depart Carrow Road in the January window amid interest from Sheffield United and former club Blackburn Rovers, or at the end of the season when his contract expires.

Tony Springett

Tony Springett is the last name to feature on this list, with the 22-year-old in need of regular minutes at this stage of his career.

The homegrown winger has only made 18 appearances for Norwich's senior side after enjoying fruitful spells in both the Under-18's and Under-21's ranks with 35 goal contributions.

However, since making his breakthrough under Dean Smith in the final weeks of Norwich's calamitous 2021/22 campaign in the top flight, Springett hasn't registered a single goal contribution for the side, regardless of the limited opportunities that have come his way.

The London-born man was also unable to set the world alight in loan spells with Derby County and Northampton Town, with a return of just one goal from those coming in a 2-2 draw against Oxford United for the Cobblers last February.

Springett is yet to make an impression on Hoff Thorup either, not being selected for the large proportion of matchday squads.

And, with his contract also expiring in the summer, it's hard to see any way back for the wide man, and Norwich may see the next two windows as an opportunity to make some form of profit on the academy graduate, who is under contract until the summer of next year.