How Norwich City could free up £57.5k p/w on their wage bill in January | OneFootball

Football League World looks at how Norwich City can look to free up £57.5k of their wage bill during the January transfer window

Norwich City are vying to secure a play-off spot for the second consecutive season but a lack of consistency has been a hindrance to the Canaries' top-six bid.

Johannes Hoff Thorup's men have picked up some impressive results, such as a 4-1 win over fellow play-off contenders Watford back in September and an emphatic 6-1 triumph over Plymouth Argyle last month.

But the Canaries have also suffered some notable defeats, such as a 3-0 loss to lowly Queens Park Rangers and a 2-0 defeat at home to Bristol City.

Meanwhile, according to Capology estimates, the Norfolk outfit have the sixth-highest weekly wage bill in the Championship, which stands at £417,500.

This is something that Hoff Thorup and co may be looking to address come the January transfer window, so Football League World takes a look at how the Canaries can reduce £57.5k off their weekly payroll:

Ashley Barnes exit

As per Capology estimates, Ashley Barnes is Norwich's joint-second highest-paid player, taking home a weekly wage of £30,000 and a yearly salary of £1,560,000.

The forward notched a return of six goals and five assists in the Championship last term, but he suffered a calf problem last summer, which meant that his first appearance since last season's play-off semi-final defeat to Leeds United did not arrive until November.

Amid the presence of the prolific Borja Sainz, the argument could be made that the Canaries could move on 35-year-old Barnes amid reported interest from Sheffield United.

Getting a fee from the Blades and freeing up £30,000 in weekly wages should allow the new Norwich boss to spend in January.

Christian Fassnacht exit

When he arrived from Swiss Super League outfit Young Boys during the summer of 2023, Christian Fassnacht seemed like a solid acquisition for the Carrow Road side, who represented his former club in all three of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference league.

However, the wideman was not overly productive last season, and scored just six goals in 42 Championship outings, which came as a particular disappointment after he had scored eight goals in 29 games during the previous Swiss Super League campaign, and 11 goals in just 18 league appearances back in 2021/22.

The 31-year-old has struggled for game time this season, following an Achilles issue, while the Canaries could knock £20,000 off their weekly wage bill by facilitating his exit come January, as per Capology estimates.

Cancelling Kaide Gordon's loan

Kaide Gordon joined the Canaries on a season-long loan from Premier League giants Liverpool at the start of the current campaign but has struggled for gametime in the Championship.

He showed a glimpse of what he can do when he scored off the bench during October's 4-0 victory over Hull City but has not been able to nail down a regular starting XI spot in Hoff Thorup's side, although he sometimes makes cameo appearances from the substitutes' bench.

According to Capology estimates, Gordon receives a weekly wage of £7,500, which is an amount the Canaries could look to knock off their payroll, by cancelling his loan or if he is recalled come January.