Philippe Clement must be laughing at Rangers transfer miss now - he's a Norwich City star | OneFootball

Jose Cordoba has emerged as an integral player for Norwich City under Philippe Clement

Norwich City signed Panamanian defender Jose Cordoba from Bulgarian side Levski Sofia in the summer of 2024 after beating Rangers, then managed by Philippe Clement, to his signature, with the Belgian now surely loving how things panned out.

Norwich’s struggles in the first half of the season have been well documented, with Liam Manning’s 17-game tenure at Carrow Road yielding just three wins, none at home, and ending his stint as statistically one of the worst managers in their history.

Having achieved a landmark play-off spot with Bristol City last season, Manning returned to his boyhood club with the hopes of replicating his work at Ashton Gate in Norfolk, but it wasn’t to be.

Former Monaco and Rangers boss Philippe Clement has since taken the wheel at Norwich, and their upturn in form and performances since the Belgian’s arrival has been truly remarkable, with imminent fears of relegation, for now, a thing of the past.

The club has suffered a torrid time with injuries this campaign, with key players such as Ante Crnac, Mirko Topic, and Papa Diallo all having missed prolonged periods across the season.

Add to that list 24-year-old centre-back Jose Cordoba, whose recent return to the side has coincided with the club's best form of the season thus far, with Clement no stranger to the Panamanian.

Philippe Clement tried to sign Jose Cordoba whilst with Rangers, but he will have little transfer regret now

Indeed, few people will be more pleased about the return to fitness for Cordoba than Clement, with the Belgian openly having tried to sign the Panamanian whilst in charge of Rangers.

Norwich confirmed the signing of Cordoba for a fee of €3.5 million (£3 million), beating the Scottish giants to his signature, with the then-22-year-old choosing Norfolk over Glasgow, much to Clement’s frustration at the time.

Rangers wanted to bring the young defender in to bolster their back line ahead of yet another hotly-contested battle with Celtic for the league title, and would be resigned to bringing in Dutch centre-back Robin Propper in instead, who would spend just one season with the club before returning to FC Twente.

It’s doubtful that Clement will be frustrated by Cordoba’s transfer decision anymore, with the 24-year-old currently thriving in the heart of the Canaries’ defence alongside Northern Irishman Ruairi McConville under the guidance of the Belgian boss.

Cordoba will likely play a pivotal role moving forward for the rest of the campaign, as with Norwich not quite out of the woods just yet, Clement will be hoping he can keep the defender fit and at the top of his game. If he can do that, their chances of survival increase tenfold.

Jose Cordoba has the potential to be the difference-maker for Norwich City this campaign

Since Cordoba’s return to the Norwich starting fold, their form has seen a massive spike, and it’s no coincidence.

Clement will have already been more than familiar with the Panamanian and what attributes he possesses, having come so close to bringing him to Ibrox just over 18 months ago.

It’s been a turbulent season by almost all metrics at Carrow Road, with it taking all the way until the end of November for supporters to see a home win this season, as well as the transfer saga involving star striker Josh Sargent and the sheer array of injuries ravaging the squad.

Clement has, so far, steadied the ship through choppy waters and looks to have provided some stability and calmness to the Canaries' side, which was clearly lacking in that area.

The upturn in form since Clement's arrival and Cordoba’s return to the side is no coincidence, with the Belgian emerging as an integral figure in the heart of defence at Carrow Road.