'I am excited' - Fresh reaction given to Norwich City transfer update | OneFootball

Norwich City fan pundit Zeke has revealed his optimism after the club completed the signing of Ali Ahmed from Vancouver Whitecaps.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Norwich City have completed the signing of Ali Ahmed from Vancouver Whitecaps, with the winger backed to solve a glaring problem in Philippe Clement’s squad.

Despite suffering a 2-0 defeat to Stoke City last time out, it’s clear the Canaries have made progress under the former Rangers chief, who has picked up 15 points from his 11 games.

However, the January window was always going to be crucial for the Norfolk outfit, and Clement will know that new additions are needed to ensure Norwich can survive this season.

Ali Ahmed will provide pace and width to Norwich City attack

The boss would also have wanted the club to be swift in the market, and that’s exactly what Norwich have done, with Ahmed’s arrival from Vancouver Whitecaps announced on Monday morning.

The 25-year-old joins with good pedigree, having starred for the Canadian side as they came within one game of winning MLS Cup, but they ultimately lost out in the final to Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.

During the campaign, Ahmed registered 11 assists, with his quality on the ball a key factor for the team, and he has also represented Canada 22 times, with the player likely to be part of Jesse Marsch’s squad at the World Cup later this year.

Even though he played well in MLS, we know that it may not be straightforward for Ahmed to adapt to life in the Championship.

Yet, when asked by FLW about the signing of Ahmed, Norwich fan pundit Zeke Downes admitted he can understand the concern, although his overall reaction was positive as he explained why this is exactly the profile of player that Clement needs right now.

“I am excited. It’s always exciting when you get a new player through the door, especially a winger - and because we’ve been crying out for something, and a bit of creativity, for a while now.

“In the current squad, we don’t really have the players who are going to do that to the level we need, so it’s exciting but the fact we don’t know a lot about him is obviously a concern.

“A lot of the recent signings, we didn’t know a lot about, and most of them haven’t done well enough. So, there is a bit of concern there, but it seems he fits the bill in terms of what we need from a winger, as he will run at defenders, try to make things happen, and the more the merrier in terms of wingers.

“I imagine we will get another one or two wide men through the door very soon.”

Norwich City must back Phillipe Clement to build on impressive start

Of course, there is an element of risk to any transfer, and that increases when you buy from overseas, especially in January, as there will be a need for Ahmed to hit the ground running.

But, he is clearly a talented footballer, and, most importantly, he will bring qualities to the XI that Norwich are lacking.

It’s vital that Clement is given support in the transfer window, as he looks to really make his mark at the club, and he will have learned a lot since he arrived at Carrow Road about just where they need to strengthen.

Those behind the scenes deserve credit for getting this over the line quickly, but there still needs to be more new recruits to beef up the Norwich squad.

If they manage that, you would expect the Canaries to survive given the way they have started under Clement, and fans will be excited about what the long-term future holds under the new boss.