Norwich City owner Mark Attanasio makes bold Premier League claim for 2026-27 season | OneFootball

Norwich City owner Mark Attanasio is targeting automatic promotion with the Canaries next season

Despite ending the season with a 2-1 defeat away to Hull City, there is a positive feeling surrounding Carrow Road heading into the summer, with Norwich City's owner Mark Attanasion reinforcing that notion.

Despite at one stage looking like serious contenders for relegation, Norwich clawed their way back up the league under the guidance of Philippe Clement, with the Belgian doing a magnificent job to achieve a 9th placed finish with the Canaries despite the circumstances.

Off-field discontent regarding the summer transfer window aimed at sporting director Ben Knapper was rife towards the beginning of the season, but following the dismissal of Liam Manning and the arrival of Clement, that rhetoric has almost evaporated.

The former Rangers and Monaco boss has applied his expertise to see the Norfolk-based outfit finish just five points outside the play-off places, and with a strong January window to back his work up, expectations for next year are high.

American owner Mark Attanasio will have been largely discontent with the work done by Manning, having worked tirelessly to poach him from Bristol City in the summer. But now, with Clement in the dugout, he has set lofty ambitions for next season.

Mark Attanasio is targeting automatic promotion to the Premier League with Norwich City next season

Attanasio completed a full takeover of Norwich in early 2025, and whilst his first full season at the helm hasn't gone quite as planned, the US businessman remains optimistic over the immediate future of the club.

The 68-year-old is also the owner of Major League Baseball side Milwaukee Brewers, but since acquiring Norwich, has taken a keen interest in football.

Speaking to BBC Radio Norfolk, Attanasio was in high spirits despite Norwich's defeat to Hull on the final day, and set big expectations of the club heading into next year, saying: "Our goal is more than just the play-offs.

"And I must be careful when I talk like this, because I am superstitious and it can come back to bite you. But when we talk internally, our focus is on how to get the team into the top two next year.

"Obviously, that is going to be a huge effort with the teams that might be coming down, and everyone at the top will be improving. The two extra spots help us, of course, but we want to make sure we put ourselves in a strong position, and everything is directed towards that."

The American appears to be well aware of how setting big expectations can come back to haunt you, especially if you fall well flat of them.

Clement, who was out of work since leaving Rangers in February 2025, has been cited as a key component in Norwich's efforts next campaign, with Attanasio heaping praise upon the Belgian.

"I know that good processes lead to good performance. That has been a core tenet of our investment business for 35 years. But I think we have done better than simply appoint a good manager with Philippe. I believe we have a special manager," Attanasio added.

"You do have to pinch yourself a little. You need a bit of good fortune in sport, and we were fortunate to connect with Philippe and bring him in."

Indeed, the belief from the owner will seep down into the Canaries fanbase, as Norwich supporters will see no reason as to why their side can't indeed go and challenge for the promotion spots next season.

With how Clement has been able to perform under difficult circumstances, with a full pre-season and summer transfer window under his belt, Norwich could be even better next year, with the goal set by the person at the very top.

Philippe Clement will be targeting a strong season with Norwich City amid Mark Attanasio's comments

Clement's first taste of English football only came when he joined Norwich in November, with the Belgian yet to get a full year in the country under his belt.

Despite this, he has displayed in his brief time in the Championship that he is a more than capable manager at this level, and if he is backed during the summer, then there's everything to be excited about for Norwich fans.

The January additions of the likes of Mohamed Toure, Ali Ahmed, and Paris Maghoma displayed his excellent ability in the transfer market, whilst the handling of Josh Sargent's exit to Toronto couldn't have been handled much better, with sporting director Knapper deserving of a portion of the credit, too.

Attanasio certainly hasn't shied away from his expectations of next year, and whether Norwich can mount a real push for the top two, at this stage, remains to be seen.