Norwich City eyeing deal for West Ham outcast - Leicester City, Portsmouth & QPR should look to pounce | OneFootball

Leicester, Portsmouth, and QPR should look to hijack Norwich City's deal for Andy Irving this January

Philippe Clement and Norwich City are looking to strengthen their midfield options this January with the addition of Scottish international Andy Irving from West Ham - but could rival second tier clubs look to snag the midfielder from under their noses?

The Canaries - despite their recent upturn in form and performances under Belgian boss Philippe Clement - still find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle after 26 games.

The January transfer window presents a huge opportunity for the Canaries to address areas of weakness, and they have already made the addition of Canadian winger Ali Ahmed to bolster their attacking options.

However, it appears as though they are far from done, with the Pink Un reporting that the club are interested in bringing West Ham's Scottish midfielder Andy Irving to Norfolk this winter.

Irving has been a peripheral figure in the Hammers ranks ever since his move from Austrian outfit Austria Klagenfurt in the summer of 2024, making just ten Premier League appearances last season and just seven this season.

The former Hearts man hasn't played a single minute of league football since early December, and with West Ham themselves struggling in the top flight and looking to clear wages off the books, Irving, who is entering the final six months of his deal in London, could be made available.

Though Norwich should not be alone in the race for his signature, as FLW has identified three other Championship sides that should be vying for the 25-year-old's signature this winter.

Leicester City

Leicester City, by the standards they have set themselves over the last decade, are having an abysmal campaign.

Although they are not in immediate danger of relegation, sitting just four points off the top six, the Foxes will have had ambitions of an immediate return to the top flight following relegation last season.

Boubakary Soumare has attracted interest from French outfit AS Monaco as of late, whilst Harry Winks has not at all been involved in a matchday squad since the beginning of December, leaving Leicester short of options in the middle of the park.

A move for Irving would be cheap, as they still have to comply with financial rules in the wake of their impending point deduction, with the Scottish midfielder adding some much-needed depth and quality to the Foxes squad.

Portsmouth

Portsmouth, unlike Leicester, are in immediate danger of relegation, with Pompey sitting just narrowly above the drop zone, though they have two games in hand on teams around them.

Hungarian midfielder Mark Kosznovszky is set to miss the remainder of this season with a knee injury, leaving the South Coast outfit short of options in the middle of the park.

John Mousinho has done an excellent job establishing Portsmouth as a Championship side once again last season, but they have failed to kick on, and face the prospect of relegation if they are unable to turn their form around sooner rather than later.

The addition of Irving would add some much-needed legs in the Pompey midfield, and the club will already have a good relationship with the Hammers, having loaned Freddie Potts last campaign with success.

Whether Portsmouth can out-muscle Norwich to his signature remains to be seen, though they should absolutely compete for his signature at the very least to bolster their own survival hopes.

Queens Park Rangers

Queens Park Rangers midfielder Jonathan Varane has been an almost ever-present figure for the club this season, but has recently been linked with a move back to his native France with St Etienne - although the west London outfit continue to snub their overtures.

Nicolas Madsen has played every game for the R's so far this season, and he is one of the most used players in the division at this stage, with the club also boasting the likes of Sam Field, Isaac Hayden, and Kieron Morgan for competition.

If Varane does indeed leave, this will leave QPR short of options in the middle of the park, and looking across the English capital to West Ham's Irving may not be a bad idea.

With just six months remaining on his deal, the Scotsman will be an affordable option for most clubs in the second tier, with QPR no exception.