3 players that could save Norwich City millions of pounds | OneFootball

A new era is underway at Norwich City following the appointment of Johannes Hoff Thorup as the club's new head coach.

Norwich made the decision to sack David Wagner last month following their 4-0 defeat at Leeds United in the play-off semi-final second leg, with the German departing after just under 18 months in charge.

Will Still, Pascal Jansen and Steve Cooper were all linked with the Canaries job after Wagner's exit, but the club have opted for Thorup, who has left his role as manager of FC Nordsjaelland to take over at Carrow Road.

Thorup had spells as an academy coach and assistant manager at Nordsjaelland before taking over as manager in January 2023, and he led them to a fourth-placed finish in the Danish Superliga this season, but they were unable to secure European football.

It could be a busy summer for Thorup with uncertainty over the future of some of Norwich's stars, and a number of senior players were released by the club at the end of their contracts, including Jon McCracken, Ben Gibson, Danny Batth, Sam McCallum and Dimitris Giannoulis.

Thorup has a reputation for giving young players a chance in the first team, and with the prospect of further high-profile exits at Norwich this summer, that could come in useful.

We looked at three players that could be next to make their breakthrough for the Canaries, and save the club millions of pounds on transfer fees in the future.

Kellen Fisher

Defender Fisher joined Norwich from Bromley last summer, and given the fact he was not part of the Ravens' first team squad in the National League, it seemed unlikely he would feature for the Canaries at senior level for a while at least.

However, Fisher's performances in pre-season convinced Wagner to allow Bali Mumba to make a permanent move to Plymouth Argyle, and the 20-year-old forced his way into first team contention.

Jack Stacey began the season as Norwich's first choice right-back after Max Aarons' departure to Bournemouth, but with the Canaries' form in decline, Fisher was handed an opportunity in the team in October.

After his first Championship appearance for the club against Sunderland, Fisher earned high praise from Wagner, who told the Pink Un: "I think we have a proper right back talent in our football club with Kellen Fisher.

"After Sunderland I believe everyone now knows this. If you consider that this was his first Championship game, first minutes in the Championship, first start, against Sunderland away from home and against maybe one of the best wingers in the league as well, this makes his performance even bigger."

Fisher continued to feature regularly for Norwich over the winter period, but his minutes were limited in the second half of the season as Stacey cemented his place in the team.

It was always going to be tough for Fisher to maintain his early performance levels, but there is no doubt he is a player with huge potential, and he will be Stacey's long-term successor at right-back.

Abu Kamara

Norwich are facing a big decision on the future of winger Kamara this summer after he excelled on loan at Portsmouth in League One this season.

Kamara joined Pompey on loan last summer, and he scored 10 goals and provided 11 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions to help John Mousinho's side to the League One title.

The 20-year-old was one of the best players in the third tier this season, and Mousinho did not rule out the possibility of him returning to Fratton Park this summer.

"I think with Abu it’s a very, very interesting one," Mousinho told The News.

"I think he’s produced scintillating football on the left, but done it even better on the right.

"Who knows what will happen with Abu? I’m sure that will be another conversation we have with Andrew and Norwich come the summer, then we’ll see how it goes from there."

Portsmouth may have had a chance of re-signing Kamara if Norwich had been promoted to the Premier League, but the Canaries will surely be keen to give him an opportunity in the Championship, and Thorup could be the perfect manager for him to develop under.

Norwich could lose midfielder Gabriel Sara this summer amid interest from Crystal Palace, while winger Jon Rowe could also be on the radar of Premier League clubs, and the departure of either of those players would open the door for Kamara.

Even if Sara and Rowe remain at Carrow Road, it still seems likely that Kamara will be part of the Canaries' squad next season, and he looks more than capable of making an impact in the Championship.

Ken Aboh

Striker Aboh has been in prolific form for the Norwich academy in recent years, and he scored an impressive 11 goals in 15 games in the Premier League 2 this season.

Wagner was clearly impressed by Aboh's performances for the U21s, and he was regularly included on the bench for the first team in the second half of the season.

Aboh made his debut for the Canaries as a late substitute in the 5-0 home win over Rotherham United in March, with Wagner telling the Pink Un: "I think he totally deserved it because he always works very hard and can make something happen on the ball as well, if he shows the bravery he shows in training as well."

That may have been Aboh's only senior appearance of the season, but it is unlikely it will be his last for the Canaries, and with the futures of Josh Sargent and Adam Idah up in the air, he could have a big role to play next season.

Sargent was Norwich's top scorer this season with 16 goals in 30 games, but he has been linked with Wolves, Brentford and Leeds United, while Celtic are keen to sign Idah permanently after a successful loan spell.

Aboh would not be able to replace the goals of Sargent and Idah at this early stage of his career, but the 19-year-old is a useful option to have in the squad, and he will be looking to make his breakthrough in the year ahead.