Old Ferret was doing some digging today and came across something intriguing when he found that our friends at FranceFootball had 30-year-old Nice defender Patrick Barul in Norfolk undergoing a trial with the Canaries.
Put into an online translator, FranceFootball's small article read something like this:
“Arrived the last summer to Nice from Lens, Patrick Barul played only eight matches with the Eaglets the last season. Monday, day of return of the Gym, the defender of it 30 years was absent.
“He had a good excuse. It carries out currently an essay to Norwich (Championship, 2nd English division).”
While we can be pretty sure that Barul is not holed up in a room at Colney writing essays, FranceFootball's information seems to be spot on and it will be interesting to see if anything comes of this.
Everyone knows that Glenn Roeder's defensive options are thin on the ground to say the least ? despite the Doc signing on again yesterday.
And in Barul, City could be laying their hands on an experienced campaigner. Despite only making eight appearances for Nice last season, he is veteran of 167 appearances in the French top tier with Cannes, and during two spells with Lens and his current club.
It is thought he can operate at full-back and in the centre; let's face it, City could do with some versatility at the back given the lack of numbers.
But Canary fans will be hoping he fares somewhat better than our other recent Frenchmen ? Messrs De Blasiis and Anselin ? if he can earn a permanent stay in East Anglia.
Watch this space?
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