Norwich City supporters ought to be excited as 23-year-old signs for club: View | OneFootball

The Panamanian could be the next unknown quantity to shine at Carrow Road, after joining from Levski Sofia.

Norwich City confirmed the signing of José Córdoba from Bulgarian side Levski Sofia at the start of June, and will be hoping that he can have the same impact as their other recent non-domestic signings.

The Panamanian centre-back became the Canaries' first signing of the summer on 14 June, after spending the last three seasons in Bulgaria.

Córdoba has earned 16 caps for his nation so far in his career, and is currently at the Copa América in the USA. The 23-year-old will rejoin his new teammates at the conclusion of Panama's tournament, and he will be hoping to hit ground running after Norwich lost out in the play-off semi-finals last season.

Norwich spent an estimated £3 million on the defender, who could partner either Grant Hanley or Shane Duffy as the Canaries look to go one better in 2024/25.

Norwich have a history of bringing in new talent from abroad

Gabriel Sara, Marcelino Núñez and Borja Sainz have all moved to England to play for Norwich in the last two seasons, quickly becoming key assets to the side.

Their ability to sign players from unknown markets has helped them in creating a young, exciting team that looks set to challenge right at the top of the Championship next season. Córdoba will be able to add youth to an aging defensive line, and will be able to utilise his physicality to give Norwich the edge over their opponents.

Levski Sofia finished 4th in the Bulgarian top flight, the Efbet Liga, in 2023/24 - with Córdoba playing in 29 of his side's 35 league matches. His consistency in defence meant that his side conceded just 30 goals, keeping 15 clean sheets as a team.

It is this invaluable scouting that has saved Norwich a heap of money on signings in the past, with Sara, Núñez and Sainz costing just over £13 million as a collective. Between them, the three found the back of the net 21 times while also pitching in with 17 assists last season - scoring over a quarter of the team's Championship goals.

Córdoba helps Norwich's defensive worries

Contrary to their attacking prowess, the Canaries are light at the back heading into the 2024/25 campaign. Duffy and Hanley were the only two experienced centre-halves on the books before Córdoba's arrival, with Jonathan Tomkinson and Jaden Warner both returning from League Two loans from Bradford City and Notts County respectively.

The 23-year-old can also operate as a left-back, offering Norwich versatility that they did not have previously. Despite standing at 6ft 1in, he is still awaiting his first professional goal, but with the quality of set-piece delivery from Sara and Nunez, there is a good chance that this statistic will change quickly.

He is a player that the Canaries have been tracking for a long time, with sporting director, Ben Knapper, excited to see what Córdoba will add to the team: "⁠On the pitch, his combination of technical ability and athleticism gives him a great foundation, and we feel he still has big steps in his development to come.

"Under Johannes’ guidance, along with the rest of our staff, we feel sure we can help him achieve his potential."

With a new managerial department in charge at Carrow Road for the upcoming season, Norwich will be an exciting prospect in the Championship, with Córdoba potentially the missing link in the book from the failings of last year.