Norwich City: Rangers links heighten the need for Ollie Skipp 2.0 | OneFootball

Ollie Skipp was a fan favourite loan player, but with Kenny McLean's constant links to Rangers, a similar player may be on the January agenda.

Few loan signings have ever made the impact on Norwich City that Ollie Skipp did in the 2020/21 Championship season and with Rangers linked with Kenny McLean in nearly every window, the Canaries should be on the lookout for someone similar.

The Tottenham Hotspur academy prospect linked up with Norwich in the summer prior to the 20/21 season. It was a move he "pushed" to play regular football week in, week out.

He would prove to be a crucial element of Daniel Farke's second Championship title-winning side, playing 45 games and being named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.

His defensive midfield counterpart that season was McLean. The duo were a formidable force, often able to dictate play to allow Farke's more attacking outlets to thrive.

The steely Scotsman is still one of Norwich's most important players, but his boyhood club Rangers have regularly been named as an interested party, meaning a Skipp 2.0 should be considered by the Canaries' chiefs.

They say you should never fall in love with a loan player. It's a phrase that could not ring more true for Norwich City fans and players alike when it comes to Skipp.

Club captain Grant Hanley could not have been more complimentary of Skipp during his Norwich tenure.

He said: "He looks like he's played at the top level for 10 to 15 years, it's hard to think he's so young."

Tim Krul was also a fan of the loanee, taking to Instagram urging him to stay at the club following promotion to the Premier League. Many fans may also remember the goalkeeper leading the chants of "Ollie Skipp, we want you to stay" during the celebrations.

It's perhaps cruel that Skipp never got the chance to play in front of a packed-out Carrow Road for Norwich, with Covid-19 restrictions enforced during the season he joined. But from the homes across Norfolk he was a fan favourite, and looking at the stats, it's easy to see why.

Hanley said Skipp had a knack for the "ugly" side of the game. He would scoop up loose balls and put a tackle in whilst also being able to play the ball progressively in a high-intensity and possession-based team.

All in all, it was a loan that couldn't have worked out better for all parties. Skipp would say the move "helped to create the player you see today", while Farke reportedly fancied his services again at Leeds this summer.

Every transfer window would elicit Canaries fans' dreams of a Skipp return to Carrow Road, but those dreams were perhaps put to bed after he joined Premier League outfit Leicester City for £20 million, a price tag out of reach for the Norfolk side.

Norwich City will need another Ollie Skipp level signing should Kenny McLean leave

McClean is one of the most consistent and pivotal figures for Norwich City. They've not been able to win a game during his recent suspension.

He told the Athletic in 2021 that playing for Rangers is something he would want to do, and if the Scottish giants could commit to a reasonable fee and a secure contract for the midfielder, it's hard to see him turning it down in the future.

Despite McLean's constant positive presence in the Norwich squad, the club have never quite been able to recapture the defensive midfield partnership of that 20/21 season.

A Norwich City without Skipp has been manageable, in part due to McLean's ability to step up when needed, though they've not been able to hit the heights they had with both since.A Norwich City without either might instill a sense of fear among the Carrow Road punters, but if Sporting Director Ben Knapper is able to bring in an Ollie Skipp-level midfielder should McLean depart, it would go far to alleviate some of those worries.