Onel Hernández? The 3 Norwich City players that need to prove a point in pre-season or risk 2024/25 axe | OneFootball

At FLW we have taken a look at the 3 Norwich City players who need to impress in pre-season or could struggle to make an impact.

Highlights

Norwich City had a chastening final game of last season as they were thrown aside by Leeds United in the second leg of the play-off semi-final.

Despite this, overall it was perceived to be a relatively successful season as they secured sixth place in the league.

The Canaries board clearly want more for next year, though, and sacked David Wagner in order to bring in their new man, Johannes Hoff Thorup.

The Dane will begin his pre-season in the coming days and will be keeping an eye on various players in training as he looks to handpick his squad for next season.

So, at Football League World we have decided to look at the three players that will need to impress Hoff Thorup as they look to have a more secure place in the East-Anglian side.

31-year-old Hernández has been at Norwich since January 2018 after signing from Eintracht Braunschweig.

His first full season was one filled with promise as he netted eight goals and assisted ten as Norwich City secured promotion back to the Premier League. However, his time since has not been as fruitful, with the Chilean never able to nail down a spot in the team as he features predominantly off the bench.

Last season saw him make 31 appearances, with a foot-break in February cutting his season short.

His recent on-pitch exploits suggest he must impress his new boss to secure a role in the team. If not, he will likely be benched and see his game time limited once again.

With only a year left on his contract, this pre-season may prove the most pivotal in his career, otherwise it could be a departure for him next June.

Jacob Sørensen

Since Sørensen signed back in 2020, injury woes have plagued his Canaries career. This has meant that just one season has seen him complete more than 20 league games and that was back in 2020-21.

When he has featured, his talent has been clear, so the Canaries opted in May to offer him an additional 12-month deal as he hopes to see the end of his injury issues.

Pre-season will provide Sørensen with the opportunity to get back to full fitness and if he impresses Hoff Thorup, then it is possible that he could replace Kenny McLean in midfield, who could be departing for Rangers.

Through no fault of his own, his time at Carrow Road has not gone to plan so far, and if fitness is once again an issue throughout the campaign, then it may be time to cut-ties with the Dane in 2025. But, if able to prove his worth then the club have an option for an additional year which they may wish to take up based on his performances.

Tony Springett

Tony Springett has been unable to make an impact in any of his loan moves away from Norwich.

The 2022-23 season saw him go out on loan to Derby County, but the winger made just one start in his thirteen appearances and wasn't given suitable game time to prove his worth.

Unfortunately, last year was a similar story for Springett. Despite getting minutes early on in the campaign for the Canaries, he was loaned out to Northampton Town and once again made a solitary start in League One.

This summer could prove the pivotal point then, and he will be desperate to display his ability in pre-season fixtures against the likes of Club Brugge and Standard Liege. Hoff Thorup will likely be keeping a keen eye on the winger whether he could prove a useful back-up to the likes of Jonathan Rowe and Borja Sainz.

This opportunity could see his development skyrocket, but if not, it would be advisable that Springett leaves the club in 2025.