Football League World
·14 December 2024
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·14 December 2024
The Canaries have struggled with consistency this season, and will be looking forward to the winter window.
Johannes Hoff Thorup has discussed Norwich City's January transfer window strategy as look to build on a solid start to the season.
Inconsistency has been the bane of the Norwegian's early days at Carrow Road but with Josh Sargent returning from injury in the new year, there are hopes that the team can recover from an awkward few weeks.
The Canaries sit 10th in the Championship after 20 games and are within touching distance of the top six, but Thorup will know better than anyone that he will need to improve his team further to ensure that they challenge for a play-off spot come the end of the campaign.
After a strong final few months of the 2023/24 season, Norwich will know that they will need a similar run to take the steps they need towards those fighting it out for a top-six finish.
The busy festive period will offer them the chance to start making inroads towards those sides, but it is clear that bringing in more talent is necessary, as injuries have taken their toll on the momentum that they started to create throughout September and October.
There is a clear indication from not only Thorup himself, but also seemingly the owners of the club, that he is there to stay, and therefore, he will dictate the path that the team take in January.
In his pre-match press conference, he outlined the way Norwich will move in the transfer window: "It's important we use every window. Based on the strategy, to find out what we need. We need to react too, if there's injuries. We want to build the team on a long-term perspective."
He continued: "It's realistic to expect us to do some deals. The steps we have taken now we need to follow up with some further steps."
While bringing in new players is key, Norwich must make sure that Borja Sainz is not sold in January as he is crucial to their chances of finishing in the top six.
The Spaniard is the league's top scorer by a distance with 15, scoring nearly half of his team's goals for the season. There has been interest from Galatasaray, but the Canaries have remained clear in their stance.
The East Anglian side will do all they can to keep hold of their talented winger, and Thorup will be delighted if he can get through January without Sainz's head being turned.
Bringing in cover for Sargent will be another priority for Norwich, especially if the American suffers a setback in his recovery.