Norwich City: Johannes Hoff Thorup reveals his Ashley Barnes desire amid Sheffield United links | OneFootball

The veteran forward has been linked to Championship rivals Sheffield United

Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup has issued his reaction to recent speculation linking Ashley Barnes to Championship rivals Sheffield United.

The Canaries sanctioned a number of outgoings in the attacking department throughout the summer transfer window, as the likes of Jon Rowe, Abu Kamara and Adam Idah all left Carrow Road. The exits of Rowe and Kamara were out of the hands of Thorup, who was dealt with challenges during his first window in the job and has generally had an inconsistent start to life in the Championship.

Norwich, who finished sixth last season and were defeated by Leeds United in the play-offs, currently sit in 12th place and are eight points shy of the top six following yesterday's 2-1 loss at home to Burnley.

It's likely going to be a hugely important January window in Norfolk, with acquisitions desperately needed in order to overturn the deficit and compete for play-off contention. However, Norwich could also see further players leave the club and one could be Barnes, who is a shock target for league leaders Sheffield United on a short-term deal - according to a report published yesterday morning by The Sun's Alan Nixon.

The 35-year-old joined Norwich in the summer of 2023 following his departure from Burnley, where he had spent the previous nine years. Barnes proved useful in his first campaign without necessarily pulling up any trees, although he's barely played so far this term after spending time out injured.

Norwich certainly have a decision to make on Barnes, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign. However, Thorup appears to have no intention of letting him go.

Johannes Hoff Thorup's Norwich City verdict on Ashley Barnes, Sheffield United transfer claim

Even though Barnes' age and recent struggles with injury could add logic to a January departure, that's something which Thorup is seemingly unwilling to explore for the time being.

The Dane explained to The Pink Un: "I want to keep all the players that we have in the group. But of course, you know, we never know what can happen, based on this summer. You never know when players come in and they have other ideas.

"But I want to keep the group because of the numbers, and we also need to think about homegrown players and stuff like that. I don't think it would be ideal for us to say, ‘Goodbye, Barnsey’.

"I also hope he can see, and others, that he can contribute to the group and he can give us another type of player up front in some of the games, or when are chasing a game or need to protect a lead.

"No, I expect that there will be a lot of rumours, and I think more of our players will be interesting for other clubs, which is exactly where you want to be. I'm not really dealing with it, we just stick to the strategy and look at what's best for us."

Norwich City, Johannes Hoff Thorup can ill-afford January transfer exits

The Canaries lost nine senior, first-team players throughout the summer and a lack of squad depth has been an issue this term, so they really cannot afford to sanction further departures next month.

They're particularly light up top, as you would expect given the aforementioned exits, and Josh Sargent's latest injury setback has been a real blow for Norwich. That means they will surely be looking to retain as many forward options as possible, so it's somewhat difficult to see Barnes leaving the club in January.

He may not be as potent as his Burnley days, but Barnes is still a handy squad player at this level with bags of experience, which Thorup clearly recognises.