Blackburn Rovers and Derby County to miss out on Norwich City transfer | OneFootball

Norwich City's Amankwah Forson has turned down Derby and Blackburn to join Israeli side Hapoel Be'er Sheva on loan.

Norwich City midfielder Amankwah Forson is set to join Hapoel Be’er Sheva despite interest from fellow Championship sides Blackburn and Derby.

The Canaries signed the Ghana international from Salzburg in the summer of 2024 for an initial fee of just under £4m.

So, there was a lot of excitement at the time, but it’s fair to say that Forson’s time at Carrow Road hasn’t really gone to plan.

Action Image

Amankwah Forson snubs Derby and Blackburn to seal Norwich City transfer exit

Even though injury issues disrupted Forson’s progress last season, it became apparent that he wasn’t going to feature regularly under Philippe Clement, who mainly used the player from the bench after his appointment.

Therefore, the Belgian made it clear to the 23-year-old that he could move on this summer, and it now appears a breakthrough is close.

That’s after BBC Norfolk reporter Chris Reeve revealed that Forson is poised to join Hapoel Be’er Sheva on loan after an agreement was reached between the clubs.

He explains that whilst there was interest from Derby and Blackburn, Forson is keen to test himself on the European stage this season, with the Israeli outfit in the Europa League, where they will face Bournemouth, Juventus and Besiktas among others.

It’s also stated that there is no option to buy, so Forson is scheduled to return to Norwich next summer as it stands.

Amankwah Forson needs a fresh start away from Norwich City

Firstly, this is a blow for Blackburn and Derby, as both clubs are desperately short of options right now, and Forson would have been a decent signing.

He may not have been in Clement’s plans, but that’s not to say he couldn’t have done a job in the Championship, although you can understand why he wants to play in the Europa League.

From Norwich’s perspective, that is a good level for Forson to put himself in the shop window, and they will be hoping he can perform well for Hapoel Be’er Sheva, as that could raise his value ahead of what they hope will be a permanent sale somewhere in 12 months.

It’s a shame for Forson and Norwich that his time with the Canaries didn’t work out, but Clement obviously wants different profiles, and you can’t really argue with his assessment when you look at the results the ex-Rangers chief has picked up since he arrived.