With the Billy Sharp saga still rumbling on, it now seems that the Canaries have launched another official bid for a highly-rated young striker ? according to the Southend Echo, City have had a ?1.5m offer for Freddy Eastwood turned down.
City boss Peter Grant has long since confirmed his admiration for 23-year-old Eastwood, but the Shrimpers forward has been tipped for a move to long-term admirers Wolves.
Only a week ago, the former West Ham trainee was said to be 'very close' to completing a switch to Molineux, but with the West Midlands club experiencing a last-minute hitch to Steve Morgan's ?30m takeover, any bank-busting deals seem to have been put on hold for the time being.
We certainly haven't heard much of their pursuit of Sharp ? who spent Wednesday in Norfolk, red carpet and all.
According to some, Wolves refuse to up their bid from the ?1.8m they have offered. As to whether the Canaries will now increase their price for Eastwood may well depend on the future of Sharp.
One thing is for sure, it's all very intriguing stuff and you certainly can't accuse Grant of resting on his laurels ahead of the new campaign.
But Southend have made it clear that it is going to take a lot more than City have offered to prize Eastwood ? who netted 15 times for the relegated Shrimpers – away from Essex. Southend are not going to budge on this one.
“Norwich have made a bid for Freddy but I have told them that they are not offering enough,” confirmed Southend chairman Ron Martin.
“Freddy is being dramatically undervalued and is worth a lot more to this football club than ?1.5million.
“That is what I've told Norwich and I still don't want him to leave.”
What is clear, however, is that the player himself wants to leave. There is a genuine desire to play at a higher level.
“I want to move on,” confirmed Eastwood, speaking to the Echo earlier in the week.
“I've had three really good years playing at Southend but having had a taste of the Championship it's where I want to stay.
“I'm an ambitious person and my dream is to go on and one day play in the Premiership. League One is a long way from there and that's why I want go.
“It's got nothing to do with the money, I just want to play at the highest level possible. I've spoken to Ron Martin about how I feel and at the moment I would not sign any new contract offer that Southend put to me.
“I hope they know why I'm making this decision and I'm pretty sure they will. I've made a lot of good mates at the club and if I move on their result will always be one I look out for.
“The fans have been brilliant – the best I've played for in my career – because they have always been right behind me.
“I have a really good relationship with the manager there too and I hope they can get back up next season.”
Despite his protests otherwise, there is also, I would suspect, a desire to cash in on the sudden influx of money being thrust into the second tier of English football.
“I'll have some of what Luke Varney is getting,” will be the gist of it.
The signing of Varney, who agreed a reported ?20,000 a week contract at Championship new-boys Charlton, has sparked a transfer merry-go-round with the likes of Eastwood, Sharp and Jamie Cureton all sure that there may never be a better time to secure a big-money move.
All of which makes the Sharp situation all the more interesting. Has Grant now turned his attentions to Eastwood with the deal for the Scunthorpe hitman dead and buried?
Or does he want to pair the League One master marksman of last year with Eastwood in a bid to hit the ground running in August?
If so, where does that leave a certain R Earnshaw? All are questions that will be thrown up by fans over a pint or two in many a Norfolk boozer.
One thing was confirmed late last night though, that Sharp was indeed in Norwich on Wednesday ? as had been widely reported by the local and national media.
He would have been given the full 5 star Colney treatment no doubt and, without revealing too much on the matter, Sharp's representative Imre Varadi indicated that first impressions were positive.
“Billy was given the grand tour,” said ex-Sheffield Wednesday favourite Varadi.
“I don't really want to say much more. Yes, he was impressed by the club and, yes, we had talks, and at the moment, that is where it's at.”
Don't go too far away, there are sure to be many more twists and turns to come?
Tom Haylett
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