City's first proper signing of the summer this morning appeared to be hoving into view on the starboard bow as Nottingham Forest midfielder Sammy Clingan was widely linked to a free transfer switch Carrow Road.
Out of contract at the City Ground this summer, the 24-year-old Northern Ireland international was reported to have had Norwich, Ipswich and QPR all on his trail of late. Now, however, and Clingan appears to have made his decision.
That it was time for pastures new and a fresh challenge in Norfolk.
All of which will come as a blow to Forest boss Colin Calderwood. For having already kissed good-bye to Kris Commons this summer and watched the popular winger join East Midlands rivals Derby County, Calderwood was confident that Clingan wouldn't follow suit; that he would put pen to paper on a new deal at the City Ground.
“We are waiting on Sammy,” the Forest chief told the Nottingham Evening Post just last week.
“He and Kris Commons were the two out of contract and we are waiting to hear back from him. Hopefully this weekend or next week we will hear something, but we want him to get it signed.
“We want to move forward this week in terms of what he is thinking of doing.
“Everyone has had a break with their holidays and then in the next week we will be doing a bit of work and, hopefully, we can get Sammy signed and progress with one or two other deals. Then we can have a break again before we come back for pre-season,” added Calderwood.
The one-time Wolves youngster blossomed into a regular member of Calderwood's promotion-winning outfit whilst continuing his progress through the Northern Ireland international ranks under ex-City boss Nigel Worthington.
Neat, tidy and a dead-ball specialist – Clingan is the free-kick man for both his club and country – his arrival at Colney would give skipper Mark Fotheringham something to think about. He is not the box-to-box goal-getter in the Darel Russell mould.
He finished last season with 46 Forest appearances to his name – complete with six yellow cards and a red. Which then suggests that the 5ft 11in Belfast-born midfielder is not one to shirk a challenge.
It is on the international stage where he really made his mark – becoming a full-time feature in Worthington's Euro2008 qualifying campaign.
Northern Ireland might not have the greatest pool of talent to select from, but to emerge from an away trip to Spain with just a 1-0 defeat to your name – and with Clingan having played the full 90 minutes in that clash last November – suggests you are no mug.
“Sammy has developed physically and maturity-wise in terms of his game,” added Calderwood last week. “He has been excellent and is an international footballer. We want to keep him.”
Canary boss Glenn Roeder told the official website this morning that he was confident that something – or rather someone – was about to drop.
“I would like to think we'll have our first breakthrough soon, and then four or five will follow soon after,” he told www.canaries.co.uk.
The club have traditionally looked to parade a couple of their new faces at the Royal Norfolk Show and this year may prove no exception if the likes of a Clingan were signed in time for a walk-on part at the Show next week.
It was, after all, one of the favoured tricks of ex-chairman Robert Chase who unveiled then record signing Jon Newsome up at the Royal Norfolk Show and certain old habits can die hard.
Roeder was again inistent that none of his 'primary' targets have gone anywhere else yet – with the likes of Wes Hoolahan, Shola Ameobi and veteran marksman Andrew Cole all yet to decide on their futures next season.
“I have a list of players that I want to bring in, and there isn't one player on that list who has turned up at another club,” he told the official club site. “I would urge our supporters not to be impatient and to stand firm.”
Someone might, finally, be on the way.
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