Norwich City: Johannes Hoff Thorup would be in January dreamland with Coventry City rerun | OneFootball

James Maddison had his breakout season with the Canaries, moving on to Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur after.

Borja Sainz has been a magician for Norwich City so far in 2024/25 – few players in the Championship, if any, have had the impact that he has had in an attacking sense.

Johannes Hoff Thorup has enjoyed a steady, but not quite spectacular, start to life in Norfolk, but his side are showing signs that they can compete with those in the top six.

However, the January transfer window offers him the chance to make the necessary improvements to his Canaries team and get them back among those battling it out for promotion to the Premier League, something that the East Anglian club missed out on through the play-offs last season.

Another creative force alongside Sainz would come in handy for the Norwegian manager, and a move similar to that of James Maddison's 2016 one from Coventry City would be more than welcome at Carrow Road, with the current Tottenham Hotspur star having a tremendous impact at Norwich.

Maddison was superb at Norwich

The now 28-year-old was signed by the Canaries in January 2016 for £2.5m but was sent straight back on loan to Coventry to see out the 2015/16 campaign in League One.

Norwich were not the only club keeping tabs on the attacking midfielder, with Premier League sides also taking an interest in his talents. It was clear that Maddison had the potential to become a key figure in the top flight, a role that he has now fulfilled.

Nevertheless, he finally got his break at Carrow Road at the start of the 2017/18 season. He had spent the last year in Scotland with Aberdeen, with Alex Neil not seeing the youngster as a player ready for the Championship.

But under Daniel Farke, Maddison was trusted to show off his abilities and he excelled with the German as his manager.

Goals became a constant part of his game, netting 14 in the league in total. There were not many players as dangerous from outside the box as the 21-year-old and he was the bright spark in a fairly ordinary season for the Canaries.

A hat-trick against Hull City in a 4-3 defeat encapsulated what he was for Norwich - a leader, despite his young age. He often took games by the scruff of the neck and was dominant in creating chances for his teammates and forming them for himself.

While his treble against the Tigers will be well remembered, one of the lasting memories for supporters will be that of his winner against Ipswich Town in October 2017. His curling effort from 15 yards eased its way into the corner, securing all three points for the yellow-and-green side of East Anglia on derby day.

A repeat of Maddison's impact would be welcome

After the 2017/18 campaign came to an end, Maddison was rewarded for his performances with a move to the Premier League.

He made the switch to Leicester City for a fee around the £22m mark, helping the team to the FA Cup in 2021 as well as a European campaign in 2021/22.

Relegation to the Championship saw him move on once again, securing a £40m switch to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2023, where he has become an integral part of Ange Postecoglou's plans.

Nevertheless, Norwich supporters will never forget the impact that Maddison made during his time at Carrow Road, and a similar move from a team lower down the leagues will go down well - particulalry for Hoff Thorup, who will be hoping for another goalscoring, chance-creating midfielder to strengthen his team for the second half of the campaign.