The pace of contract activity at Carrow Road showed little sign of easing this evening as the club announced that Russell Martin had signed a new, three-year deal with the Norfolk club that would see him through till 2016.
Given the nature and the personality of the man, the smart money would be on the versatile Scottish international defender seeing out those three years – and then some.
He has never been in any hurry to move and with the exit of club skipper Grant Holt to Wigan Athletic this week, the 27-year-old would be a very popular choice to succeed Holt in the captaincy role.
“Since I first arrived here it’s gone unbelievably well and I feel really settled in the area,” said the former Peterborough defender, who has proved equally adept at both full-back and centre-back in his time at the club.
Equally adept in the Premiership, too.
“I’m happy playing for this club and I’ve got a great relationship with the players, staff and the supporters, and I’m just delighted to be here for another three years,” he added.
For City boss Chris Hughton, it was due reward for not just his sterling efforts this season, but over the course of his Canary career which started with that loan switch from London Road in 2009.
Let it not be forgotten that Martin has also popped up with some key goals at key moments. His role in Norwich’s drive to the Premier League – and then staying there – is not to be underestimated.
“It’s about players earning a new deal and I’m delighted to be extending Russell Martin’s contract,” Hughton told the club’s official site this evening.
“Russ has played his full part not just in helping us to achieve our finishing position last season, but of course in the Club’s massive successes over the previous three seasons and he’s certainly earned his new contract.”
In the meantime, speculation was mounting that Blackburn Rovers’ Swedish defender Martin Olsson could be the next arrival in Norfolk.
The 25-year-old did not travel with the rest of his Rovers’ team-mates on their pre-season tour – apparently to concentrate on his fitness after making 35 appearances for the Lancashire club last season.
“We’ll see what happens over the week,” Rovers boss Gary Bowyer told the local evening paper. His words were hardly those of a manager set to stand in the way of the player. Something was evidently afoot.
“If nothing happens then we’ll be coming back and he’ll be joining in. He came in on Friday and we had a really good chat about things. At the moment there is nothing else to report.”
The Norfolk club have also found themselves heavily linked to Ajax centre-half Toby Alderweireld.
What weight anyone ever puts to the words of a player’s agent is, of course, always a moot point.
But the Belgian’s ‘Mr Ten Per Cent’ was fuelling the flames in the Dutch newspapers.
“I understand they made contact with Marc Overmars (Ajax’s director of football),” was the quote from Soren Lerby, as Sky Sports made the connection.
“Toby has left the pre-season camp of Ajax in Austria due to personal reasons and I haven’t spoken with him about Norwich yet. I don’t know if Toby is interested in a move or not.”
The fact that City have already signed a player of Ricky van Wolfswinkel’s stature will help their cause; as will the cash that the club now have at their disposal now that the new TV deal has kicked in and poured ever more riches into the Canary coffers.
Plus the reported £4 million fee Norwich received for Holt off Wigan – and the two years of saved wages therein – will also have freed up further financial muscle.
Hughton can – finally – sleep easy over the future of keeper John Ruddy. News tonight that Chelsea had signed Mark Schwarzer on a one-year deal will knock one of Sky Sports’ more favoured rumours on the head.
Russell M. – great player, great name, great news!