Football League World
·11 October 2024
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·11 October 2024
Carlton Palmer believes Bright Osayi-Samuel would be an impressive signing for Norwich City.
Carlton Palmer believes that Bright Osayi-Samuel would be a shrewd signing for Norwich City if they manage to bring the Fenerbahçe man in.
The Canaries are enjoying a positive season so far under Johannes Hoff Thorup, as they try to win promotion back to the Premier League.
This follows a very busy window, as Norwich had to deal with several high-profile departures, with Gabriel Sara, Adam Idah and Jon Rowe all moving on. Those sales did fund some new recruits, and fans will hope that the recruitment team will have money available in the New Year to strengthen further.
It appears key figures at the club could already have an eye on the January window, as reports from Turkey suggested they were rivalling Lens for Osayi-Samuel.
The Nigerian international is known to fans in English football after his time at QPR, but he has reinvented himself as a full-back for the Istanbul giants.
However, José Mourinho’s appointment has changed the situation slightly for Osayi-Samuel, as he is no longer a guaranteed starter, whilst injuries have also restricted his game time this season.
Of course, the window is months away, so things could change, but ex-England international Palmer told FLW that Osayi-Samuel would improve the group - and he stressed the need for increasing the strength in depth at Carrow Road.
“He has moved back to full-back playing for Fenerbahce, but he used to be a winger at QPR. He’s got plenty of energy, plenty of unpredictability, and he can play down the right flank.
“If they can get him back, I think it would be a fantastic move for Norwich. Since moving to Turkey, he has won the cup, and they’ve been consistently challenging at the top of the league.
“He’s experienced, which would be good for Throup, and he can operate in two positions, so it depends on the type of money they would have to pay. But, with Norwich sitting in 7th place in the Championship, it could be fantastic business.
“It’s an area they’ve got to have a look at, and bringing players in of his quality and experience would help, because Norwich haven’t got that much to choose from outside of their first 11 players.”
There’s a lot of football to play between now and January, but Norwich are in a good place right now, with the players fully on board with the new boss after a difficult start.
The team have a clear way of playing, they look strong going forward, and in Josh Sargent and particularly Borja Sainz, they have two of the standout players in the Championship right now.
So, the Canaries should expect to be in the mix for a play-off place at least this season, but the January window can be critical.
Many would agree with Palmer’s assessment that Norwich do lack the depth of some of their rivals, so the window could be about adding two or three quality players to ensure they last the distance.