Succession planning is pivotal for any long-term success. Norwich have five young talents that will attract interest this summer, but who is ready to step in and replace them?
Max Aarons, Ben Godfrey, Jamal Lewis, Todd Cantwell and Emi Buendia. City’s five saleable assets whose auction price will all start at £20million.
Max has been linked with a £30million move to Spurs, but with Kyle Walker-Peters impressing at Southampton and Jose Mourinho’s uncertainty over the England U-21 international, Aarons’ route back to Premier League football might not be as clear as it initially appears.
It may well result in another season of Championship football for Aarons, but the club are well equipped should he be poached. Sam Byram has shown promise and versatility, emerging as Norwich’s most efficient piece of transfer business.
He is clearly in pole position to fill Max’s shoes, but injury issues may proliferate Jordan Thomas’ development. Should Max stay, Jordan may well be better off going elsewhere on loan, but considering we also have Lukas Rupp’s versatility and Bali Mumba’s impending arrival to supplement right-back options, they’re in a healthy position in this department.
Ben Godfrey, if you believe the nationals, has a £50million price-tag slapped on his head, but don’t let that fool you into thinking a £49million bid wouldn’t be sufficient. He’s a ductile central defender who has the capability of being moulded into any Premier League team, but to spend that amount and play him anywhere else other than centre-half would be foolish.
Typically deployed on the left of a two-man pairing, Ben has been used on the right since Project Restart, due to the injuries suffered by Grant Hanley and Christoph Zimmermann. Both would appear uncomfortable on the opposite side, so regardless of whether Godfrey stays or goes, a left-sided centre-back is paramount this summer.
Akin Famewo was making pleasing progress on loan at St Mirren in the SPFL but was a victim of the premature ending of the footballing season. The Luton academy product would no doubt have benefitted from a further eight games in a first-team environment and may well be sent back out on loan to compensate for this loss. However, the lure of having a left-footed centre-back for the first time during his three year tenure may prove to be too strong for Daniel Farke to resist.
Jamal Lewis is arguably at the bottom of City list of saleable assets. Despite rumours surrounding a move to Crystal Palace for circa £20million, Project Restart has highlighted his need for further development.
Should no sufficient bids be made, Jamal will remain a City player. Stuart Webber’s succession planning in recruiting Sam McCallum at the time he did may well prove to be a stroke of genius, but with Sam’s ex-club Coventry City playing in the same division as the Canaries, there probably isn’t a better place for him to develop than in the Midlands.
Todd Cantwell is undoubtedly the most marketable asset of the five. A generous social media presence, interactions with fellow celebrities and a premium brand deal with Puma all adds to the picture. Humble, yet courageous – maybe slightly too courageous at times – but a must-win relegation six-pointer was probably not the time to add a unique French plait hairstyle to the list of marketable features.
The role and impact Danel Sinani will have at Norwich remains to be seen. The Luxembourg international was technically a part-time player and City were planning on incorporating him earlier if COVID hadn’t occurred, so expectations should remain minimal for the free signing. That doesn’t however mean the rewards won’t be bountiful.
If Todd is the most marketable, then Emi is the most talented. Whilst Ben will arguably attract the highest bid due to his profile (and agent!), it is hard to look beyond Emi for possessing the most natural talent. His bellicosity is as prevalent as his tendency to infuriate, but we’re all aware of the chance creation statistics he’s produced this season.
The Canaries’ lack of natural width has granted Josh Martin with a handful of first-team games earlier than he might have expected. Since joining from Arsenal last summer, Martin has accelerated through the youth-system and now finds himself a regular member of Farke’s matchday squad.
Under the guidance of Steve Weaver and David Wright, Josh found himself playing on the left, but all three of his brief Premier League appearances have come on the right. It appears apparent Norwich still want another right-sided player, with Dennis Man and Darius Olaru rumoured targets, but time will only tell if City’s premature relegation will result in more minutes for the Arsenal academy product.
Ultimately, all five of the saleable assets will be missed dearly., and not all five will go of course, but regardless of what happens this summer, the club is already in an incredibly strong position when it comes to the personnel Farke & co will have available at their disposal.
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Billy is one half of NCFC podcast The Revere End. You can follow them on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook @therevereend and listen to their podcast on Spotify, Apple and Google podcasts.
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A good assessment of the candidates but other than Godfrey no one will pay 20 million for any of them. Sadly that doesn’t mean they won’t go.
You may well be right, but other than Todd we have these tied down for a number of years.
It is interesting that Aarons and Buendia have four years left on their contracts, Godfrey three years plus a one year option and Lewis three years.
Cantwell has two years left and I do recall there was some doubt about him signing it at the time. I wonder if the club will either try to make the sale or try to sign him up to a longer contract this summer. As things stand he is the one that one would wish to go purely form a value point of view.
There were also rumours pre Covid of McClean to Palace or West Ham for £10 million, Pukki to Leeds or Italy is also a rumour and Krul must have his admirers too
EMI, Max And Todd seem Very ambitious and in their agents eyes have Probably outgrown us but who knows about Jamal whilst Ben has a powerful well connected agent
Talking to mates we would let Cantwell go first because his price is at its max at present compared to his value to team but after that We couldn’t agree paraphrasing The Clash who should stay or go … who would help us get promoted and who is replaceable
I’m not convinced there was anything in the McLean rumours to be honest, but I agree that those three in-particular seem ambitious and the caveat with Ben is always his agent.
As I said to Martin, we’re in a strong position regardless in Defence. If we keep one, the younger deputy wouldn’t be harmed by a further loan development.
I think now is the right time to sell Todd, his value will only diminish if not.
Hi Billy
That’s a pretty good analysis and I tend to agree with Seamus [above] about Cantwell, but a little yellow chirpy thing tells me Max will be the first to go. Something’s turned his head and that’s for sure although you could say that about all of them of course.
At least we’ve got Byram and young Thomas as RB cover so maybe that move will impact on us the least. Let’s hope Byram returns to – and retains – fitness quite soon.
Speculation – don’t ya just luv it.
Thanks Martin,
You’re probably right, I have no inside knowledge within the club so all I’m going by is what everybody else knows. All 3 ‘assets’ in Defence have young prospects ready to step up should they be sold, but all 3 replacements also wouldn’t be harmed by another loan move. We’re in a good position regardless and I think the lack of transfer speculation regarding incomings in Defence would probably tell you we’re comfortable with our options.
Hi Billy
An interesting analysis on the five players in question.
Aaron’s is supposed to be Spurs first choice but Jose is unsure of his height and is rumoured to be looking at players over 6ft with more pace so unless it is a ploy to get the price down not so sure and will he go somewhere he isn’t first choice maybe Southampton.
Lewis similar to Aaron many rumours but I think it depends on Chilwell leaving Leicester then they will need a replacement.
Buendia strange on he has said he is happy to stay and get promoted next season and that could all change if his countrymen at Leeds or A Madrid makes an offer and would he want possibly another struggle in the premiership or a title tilt in Spain but then is he really ready for such a big step, he has looked good this season but can he do it consistently.
Godfrey where will his best position be only time will tell he needs to learn more to be a top CB and hadn’t played enough as a DM to really light fires so progress in work for both positions, will a top team come in with big money for a player still learning his trade, depends on his agent getting to convince either German or Italian clubs of his abilities, it will not be a top 6 club unless there is big add ons.
Cantwell he reminds me of Tony Curry once of Sheffield United looks good and plays well but can he carry it for a big club where expectations will be much higher, Curry left Sheffield and went to QPR to replace Stan Bowls when they were competing with LIVARPOOL for titles and trophies but was soon back at Sheffield where he finished his career.
I wouldn’t like to seen Todd go the same was as the Jarvis or Murphy brothers all had potential but had agents that had ideas on a grander scale for them.
The media has built these players up after last season and they all have potential to achieve great things in the game do they need another season at city debatable on that but if they go and for the right price they will not only need first team football to improve but the right clud/manager to help them achieve their goals.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Keep safe and well
Didn’t Currie got to Dirty Leeds before QPR?
May have done I know that his only successful period was both times a Sheffield United
There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic in the mid-term. NCFC have been quietly recruiting a sparkling array of young talent almost unnoticed for a couple of years. We could end up with a cracking squad in a year or too ‘out of the blue’, thanks to SW & DW’s forward thinking.
Nicely toned article, Billy.
Interesting piece.
I imagine the Summer transfer window will be quieter than usual due to Cv-19 and financial uncertainties regarding the likelihood of no fans at games, European football, etc, etc.
If a player really wants to go then go they must, ‘one bad apple’ and all that but I would be surprised if there’s much really serious interest in any of them. For me, Max, Jamal & Emi have found the Prem to bigger step-up this season. In saying that I hope we sell a couple for high fees then we’ll be really well placed to buy good replacements.
Just hope we can strengthen the defence and D M areas. A solid base is the priority but the squad is now in need of a good shake up.
Good piece and it will be very interesting to see what happens.
It is Ironic that the squad – on paper – is the most expensive ever, yet has performed so badly – at the highest level at least.
I too believe Cantwell will be the first to go and nobody could begrudge him of that.
As I’ve previously posted, if too many players want out – really want out – then Webber (Mr. ‘Passing Through’) has a big headache, as The Championship is the last league on earth where you want non committed players.
It is widely acknowledged that the squad needs freshening up, but Farkeball might take too long to bed in for a swift return next season.
McCallum has a very good reputation. If he was not going to be first choice he would have stayed at Coventry. We have problems all over the field. Are our midfielders going to suddenly start chipping in with goals in the Championship? For me a major failing was not signing at least one CB even after the 1-5 Villa home game. Three at the back may work but I agree that Godfrey although talented is still making the same mistakes, eg losing Billy Sharpe in the home game last year. He is a great CM though…
Good column Billy, and excellent comments as always.
I find it odd that the leakiest back 4 in the PL can contain 3 such supposedly sought after players.
Max and Jamal have been found out to a degree, and I still have to be convinced that Ben’s best position is as a CB.
If injuries hadn’t been so prevalent this season, I’d like to have seen him deployed as a defensive mid-fielder. He has the physicality, energy and pace for that role, and would also be able to chip in with the occasional goal.
Other than Buendia, he is the one I really think we’ll miss…and of course his agent is the one other clubs have on speed dial!
O T B C
Florian Kamberi of Hibs, striker link.
Lewis for me is the least likely to be wanted by any PL club.
But he is the one I would miss the least. His lack of confidence has been very evident this season, which shows itself in the time he passes backwards. Can be very good going forward…..but does not do that enough for me.
Our defence has clearly been poor over two seasons. They persist in playing out from the back, but totally lack the confidence and ability to play this way.
John mentions that our defenders are highly rated, I also find that hard to understand.
Hi Billy couple of months ago Steve bruce stated that max arrons was being offerred an eye watering contract at spurs time will hell but he and lewis offeres some good moments goin forward but poor in defending as for kenny stayclean i,d drive him to rangers myself keepwell