£8.5m star can be Norwich City's answer if Mo Toure leaves Carrow Road | OneFootball

Ante Crnac scored upon his return from injury on Tuesday night in the FA Cup, reaffirming the quality Norwich have up front, even if Mo Toure leaves

As we enter the final week of the summer transfer window, the focus at Norwich City isn't as much on bringing someone in as on ensuring that their current talent doesn't leave.

The Canaries have fallen to defeat in both of their Championship games thus far this season, and they'd be propping up the table if not for Southampton's four-point deduction, but there's still expectation that Philippe Clement's side will be among the top eight come May.

Norwich were one of the best sides in the division in the second half of last term, averaging two points per game over 22 second-tier outings in 2026, a record bettered only by the Saints.

Norwich City's summer continuity is threatened by late Mo Toure interest

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Norwich had continuity on their side heading into the summer, and unlike many clubs in the EFL, were able to do the bulk of their transfer activity pretty early on, allowing new arrivals to settle in and contribute to pre-season at Carrow Road.

Indeed, if not for the potential season-ending ACL injury to Ali Ahmed in early August, which forced the Canaries to bring in Anthony Musaba on loan from Fenerbahçe, their business was done by August 5, when they signed Darlin Yongwa, which in itself was their first bit of business since late June.

The fact that Norwich haven't lost any key players has aided that uncharacteristically quiet summer window compared to recent years, but there's always been the threat of one of those stars leaving, namely Mo Toure, who scored 10 in 12 after arriving midway through last season from Danish side Randers.

The 22-year-old will have had plenty of admirers due to his excellence when fit last season, and that interest was formalised by Portuguese giants Porto and Sporting CP, alongside Premier League new boys Hull City earlier this month.

Ante Crnac is waiting in the wings at Norwich City if Mo Toure is sold

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Those reports broke a week ago and, as it stands, Toure is still a Norwich player. But as the window edges closer to an end, there'll always be the worry that a big bid could come, which they may struggle to turn down.

If that does materialise to the Canaries' reluctance, there'll be questions over who they could get at short notice to replace the 22-year-old, but there's arguably someone already at the club waiting to prove he's worth the £8.5 million they spent on him two summers ago.

Ante Crnac has had a difficult couple of years at Carrow Road. The club in general was going through a poor spell in the 2024/25 campaign, of which he was the marquee signing, and his sophomore year was curtailed after just 11 games after suffering an ACL injury.

Those 11 games provided grim viewing for Norwich fans under Liam Manning. That, plus the entire 2024/25 term, meant that Crnac's time at the club thus far hasn't exactly been positive, and he's had to watch on from the sidelines as the feeling around the club improved under Philippe Clement as the campaign went on.

Ante Crnac scored on his return to the club on Tuesday after 10 months out

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It's one appearance, one goal for Crnac under Philippe Clement, after the Croatian made his long-awaited return off the bench to score the winner as Norwich won 2-1 at Cardiff City in the EFL Cup second round.

It was a feel-good moment for the 22-year-old after 10 months out, and a statement of intent ahead of the rest of the campaign.

Crnac still managed 12 goal contributions for the Canaries in 38 games during his debut campaign under Johannes Hoff Thorup, which wasn't a terrible return for a young forward in his first season in England with the pressure of a hefty price tag on him.

Now, with the positive feeling around the club once more, perhaps the 22-year-old could thrive off of that and push on, perhaps even staking his claim for starting minutes up front, which Toure currently holds.

Norwich City would be thrilled if Mo Toure stays and forms a partnership with Ante Crnac

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Ultimately, though, the main priority in the final week of the transfer window is to ensure that Toure stays at Carrow Road. With the Australian international only just arriving in January on a four-and-a-half-year deal, all the cards are in their hands when it comes to demanding a fee.

If the 22-year-old stays at the club, that will be a big boost to their promotion intentions, and if Crnac's goal upon his return is a sign of things to come, Norwich could be in for quite the dangerous duo.

The Croatian is pretty versatile in terms of where he can play across the frontline. He was subbed on for Mathias Kvistgaarden on Tuesday night to lead the line, but spent the majority of the 2024/25 campaign off the right and played behind the striker in parts last season.

If Crnac can play behind Toure and continue from where he left off in the cup, Philippe Clement won't need to worry where the goals will come from as the campaign rolls on.

And if Toure unfortunately does leave, the 22-year-old may be an apt replacement for him at the top of the pitch.