Matej Jurasek signing confirmed finally. He will be our new no.10 https://www.canaries.co.uk/content/city-sign-jurasek-from-slavia-prague
And Birmingham City close to signing Grant Hanley - currently undergoing a medical. The move will see his contract with Norwich terminated by mutual consent
Current Rumours: OUT Barnes (ST) - Burnley - Free ✅ Fassnacht (RW) - Young Boys - Free ✅ Hanley (CB) - Birmingham City - Free ✅ Gordon (RW) - Recalled ✅ Mair - Motherwell - Loan ✅ Sainz - (LW) - Girona interested €20-25m IN Jurasek (RW) 21 years old - Salvia Prague ✅ Dobbin (LW/RW/ST) - Loan ✅ Reyes (GK) - Recalled from loan ✅ Selvik (GK) - 28 years old ❌ Bindon (CB) - 19 years old - Reading Charlie Savage (DM) - Reading Ricky-Jade Jones (ST/LW) - Peterborough
Something I have just seen from the PinkUn - "All four of the ESC slots are currently being filled, so he cannot be registered until 3rd February"
Based on this, it means he willl miss he Away trips to Sheff Utd, Leeds and Watford, and the Home game against Swansea, but should be available for the Derby game at Carrow Road on the 8th February (the last game of Sainz 6 match ban)
Barnes, Fassnacht gone, Hanley going, Gunn potentially out in the summer...it's quite a changing of the guard with senior players. McLean and Duffy remain, and are contributing as first team regulars, but curious to see if the club feels like they have enough older heads beyond the summer. Pleased the club feel confident enough in the rest of the squad to let these players go, and have managed to figure out a way of getting their wages off the books, even if there's no fee incoming. We've certainly not acted so decisively or pragmatically in the past. Michael Turner being on the books from 2015-17 springs to mind.
Stacey is an experienced player although slightly younger, as is Marcondes. Onel is another older player that looks like he is great for the group, I wonder if he may get a job at the club if we don’t extend his playing contract. Sargent looks like he leads by example. But like you suggest there may be a need for another older head, perhaps the next GK? Like you, I’m also really pleased with how the club is acting at the moment and taking decisive steps with a clear vision
Who are the four ESC slots occupied by? Forson, Crnac, Cordoba… Abd what changes in February 3rd? Or is that anticipating a sale?
Schwartau occupies the fourth ESC slot. What changes in February is that Crnac qualifies for full GBE status by virtue of the number of minutes he has played, thus releasing his ESC slot. Although he has already clocked up the necessary minutes, the change of status can't take place until one transfer window has passed, in Crnac's case the current one.
I can see the sense in moving on Barnes, Fassnacht and Hanley, but I'm less convinced about Gunn leaving. In terms of acting 'decisively or pragmatically', Webber's clear out of established players and replacing them with european lower league players in Farke's first season comes to mind along with the disappointing season that turned out to be. As for this season, I hope they come good but I'm not yet convinced that the £15m or so we spent on Crnac, Schwartau and Forson will turn out to be value for money in the end. Doyle has been a big success, but like van Hooijdonk, Gordon was a loan that didn't work out so the focus on loaned youth can also have its down sides. By comparison, getting Marcondes in on a free transfer and Slimane for £1.2m already seems to be good business but I suspect that the credit for those two belongs more to JHT than the recruitment team. Like Córdoba, Matěj Jurásek seems to be a good signing, but we'll have to wait and see how both work out in the long term.
Thank you Robbie, having read the PinkUn break down of the situation it sounds as if all 4 should be able to achieve GBE status in February, but they are bit closer to the threshold.
Hanley clearly loved being with the club and this interview, his last before departing, shows how much being here meant to him. Good luck Hanley, you had some great moments with us.
JHT appeared to confirm that the club are in discussions over a new contract for Gunn, although he acknowledged that Gunn has interest from other clubs this month. So maybe not a foregone conclusion that he will be leaving.
Rumoured that us and West Brom are insterested in 23 year old St Gallen striker - Willem Geubbels. The deal mentioned is suggested to be a loan.
Apparently Leeds are also interested: https://the72.co.uk/2025/01/21/leeds-united-west-brom-norwich-city-eyeing-willem-geubbels/
