Norwich City confirm Borja Sainz, Marcelino Nunez talks | OneFootball

Sporting director Ben Knapper provided an update on the contract of two Canaries players

Norwich City sporting director Ben Knapper has confirmed the Championship club is in ongoing talks with Borja Sainz and Marcelino Nunez.

Both enter the last 12 months of their deals with the Canaries in the summer, but bosses at Carrow Road are already keen to set out their stall.

Norwich are currently in 10th in the Championship, but sitting just four points off the play-off places, they will be hoping for a strong end to the season and, as such, will need key men like Sainz and Nunez on top form.

One way to help that is to give them — and fans — clarity of their future at the club, something which Knapper has moved early to try and provide.

Conversations ongoing with Borja Sainz and Marcelino Nunez

Speaking to the Pink Un, Knapper said: "There are conversations ongoing in both cases.

"There's been good dialogue with the camps of both of those players, and that will continue.

"Ultimately, these things take time, and you need to try to find alignment between all parties. There's no conclusion either way on any of those scenarios.”

Norwich fans may have hoped to hear that a new deal was nearing a conclusion but it should come as some comfort that these conversations are already well underway with 18 months left to run for both players.

Norwich’s situation will be key to the negotiations

With the Canaries’ proximity to the play-offs in mind, Knapper also revealed that the club’s position at the end of the season will be a big factor, suggesting that significant progress may not be achieved until the summer.

He continued: “I'm sure as the coming weeks play out and we start to see how things look for us as a club in terms of the play-offs, the potential involvement in those and the possibility of us not even being in this division next year - that will obviously have an impact as well, particularly from the players' perspective.

"They are both live issues, but at the same time, we're relaxed about it. Things will play out in the way they do, and we'll react.

“I'm sure we will get a good outcome for the club, whatever the situation."

Borja Sainz will be the deal all Canaries have their eyes on

While the contract for Nunez is an important one to get over the line, it’s Sainz’s future at the club that will be forefront in most fans’ minds.

Striker Josh Sargent is having a good season at Carrow Road, but even he cannot currently better the 15 league goals netted by Sainz, a key reason that Norwich are still firmly in the play-off race.

With interest from teams as lofty as Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid and Napoli, there’s no doubt that Sainz has a lot to consider with his future on the table.

As Knapper says, Norwich being able to offer Premier League football would be an incredible boost, as some of the parties interested will be competing on the biggest European stages.

It remains to be seen what comes of the contract negotiations for Sainz and Nunez, but the fact Knapper already has it in hand and seems fairly relaxed with how talks are progressing, should provide Norwich fans some comfort.