Leeds United and Marseille face new threat in race to sign Norwich City's Jon Rowe | OneFootball

Rennes have joined Leeds United and Marseille in the race to sign Norwich City winger Jon Rowe.

Highlights

Rennes have joined the race to sign Norwich City’s Jon Rowe, as they look to beat Leeds United and Marseille to his signature.

The 21-year-old managed to establish himself as a regular in the Canaries side last season, and he quickly became one of their best players, scoring 12 goals in 34 appearances as they reached the play-offs.

Such form unsurprisingly attracted attention, with Leeds and Marseille known to be admirers of Rowe, who made himself unavailable for Norwich’s opener at Oxford.

Despite reports indicating Marseille are close to agreeing a fee for Rowe, journalist Alan Nixon has stated that Rennes are firmly in the mix to sign the winger.

Jon Rowe transfer latest

The update claims that Marseille have so far been ‘unable to close a deal’ for Rowe, whilst Leeds are ‘frustrated’ at how their pursuit has gone.

Therefore, it’s said that Rennes are trying to muscle in, and the report explains how they might be seen as an attractive option for Rowe, as they have a good track record when it comes to signing and developing players.

They have already brought in a player from the Football League, with the Ligue 1 outfit completing a deal for Birmingham City’s Jordan James earlier this month.

Norwich City will want Jon Rowe saga to end

This is another potential twist in the chase for Rowe, but you can imagine that everyone connected to Norwich just want this sorted as soon as possible.

It’s dragged on for weeks now, and Rowe didn’t endear himself to the supporters with how he has behaved, which prompted boss Johannes Hoff Thorup to send him to train with the U21s.

Clearly, Rowe’s departure is going to influence what Norwich can do in the market, so they would want a swift resolution to this.

With Gabriel Sara and Adam Idah having already commanded significant sums, there’s room to make some new additions, and there is talk that Ante Crnac could arrive in a big-money deal.

But, Rowe will need replacing, and Thorup will no doubt feel that other areas of the squad need to be improved before the deadline, which is on August 30.

Norwich City’s summer transfer plans

With the Canaries picking up just one point from their opening two games, it’s fair to say that the early signs suggest another top six finish would be unlikely for this team.

Losing Sara, and probably Rowe, was always going to be a big impact on the side, and there is pressure on the recruitment team to ensure that genuine quality comes in to replace them.

You do have sympathy for Thorup, as he has inherited a club in a bit of a mess when you consider all the noise surrounding different players. So, when the deadline passes, it will allow him to focus on football and coaching, which will no doubt be a relief!

Nevertheless, the immediate priority is getting new signings over the line, and it could be a very busy ten days at Carrow Road.