Norwich City head coach role may be too much, too soon for 28-year-old Arsenal man: View | OneFootball

It has been a turbulent season for Norwich City in the Championship.

The Canaries made an excellent start to the season, but their form declined significantly in September and October, and they sat as low as 17th in the table in early November.

Many supporters called for head coach David Wagner to be sacked but the board stuck with the German, and they have been rewarded for their patience, with Norwich emerging as serious play-off contenders in recent months.

Despite the upturn in form, Wagner has failed to win over all the doubters, and the 52-year-old told fans who booed his decision to substitute Onel Hernandez and Josh Sargent in the 4-2 win over Watford on Tuesday night to "stay at home".

It seems that Wagner's job remains under threat as, according to The Guardian, Norwich are lining up a summer move for Arsenal coach Carlos Cuesta.

Canaries sporting director Ben Knapper knows Cuesta from his time as loans manager at the Emirates Stadium, and the 28-year-old "is believed to be open to working with Knapper again after building a strong relationship with him at Arsenal".

However, Norwich face strong competition for Cuesta's signature, with other Championship clubs said to be keen on the 28-year-old, and Arsenal "are believed to be determined to resist any approaches" for their assistant manager in the summer.

Cuesta would be an exciting appointment for the Canaries, but he would also be a big risk, and the pressure of the job at Carrow Road could be too much for him at this stage of his career.

Carlos Cuesta appointment would be a gamble for Norwich City

Cuesta joined Arsenal from Juventus in 2020, and he has played a key role in the club's success in recent years, with the Gunners establishing themselves as Premier League title contenders under Mikel Arteta.

The Spaniard has earned a reputation as one of the world's brightest coaches, and his appointment at Carrow Road would follow the trend of Championship clubs going for young, up-and-coming managers.

The likes of Enzo Maresca and Kieran McKenna are examples of managers currently enjoying success in the second tier in what is their first job in management but some younger coaches have struggled, such as Joe Edwards at Millwall.

Edwards worked with Frank Lampard at Chelsea and Everton, and he had a spell as interim manager of England U20s, but he has found it tough since replacing Gary Rowett at The Den in November, with the Lions sliding towards the relegation zone in recent months.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl is currently the youngest manager in the EFL at the age of 34, but should Cuesta make the move to Carrow Road, he would take that title.

Rohl has proven in a tough situation at Hillsborough that he is more than capable of making an impact, and Cuesta could do the same for the Canaries, but it would be a lot of pressure on such a young coach.

Norwich are a club with high expectations, as shown when supporters turned against Dean Smith last season, resulting in him being dismissed when sitting fifth in the table in December 2022.

Similar discontent has been directed towards Wagner this campaign, and should the German fail to deliver a return to the Premier League this season, fans will demand another promotion challenge next term.

With the relationship between Wagner and the fan base yet to be fully repaired, his exit in the summer seems inevitable, and Cuesta would be the type of appointment that would likely excite supporters.

But that positivity would not last long if he does not achieve results, and Cuesta is facing a big decision in the summer on whether to step into the world of management or continue learning under Arteta for another year.

At just 28, you have to wonder whether taking the Norwich hotseat would be too much, too soon.