Norwich City eyeing Huddersfield Town transfer raid as Middlesbrough lurk | OneFootball

Norwich City are looking at bringing in Huddersfield Town prodigy Jay Smith-Sway this summer

Norwich City's surge up the table under Philippe Clement from November onwards was very impressive, and the Canaries were unlucky to miss out on the play-offs.

The Belgian boss took Norwich from second-bottom upon his arrival on November 18, to ninth, and still in with a shot of finishing in the play-offs ahead of the penultimate game of the campaign.

Ultimately, one point from those final two games, including a defeat against eventual sixth-placed side Hull City, saw the Canaries finish eight points off the play-offs. In 2026, however, Norwich picked up the second-most points in the division, four behind Southampton.

The only thing truly stopping a promotion push was their dire start under Liam Manning, and with Philippe Clement set to embark on his first full season at Carrow Road, plenty are tipping Norwich to be right up challenging for the top two.

They'll need a good transfer window behind them for that to happen, though. If it can be anything like January's, where Mo Toure, Paris Maghoma and Ali Ahmed all arrived, they'll be in a very strong position.

Norwich City plot move for Huddersfield Town's Jay Smith-Sway

In the early stages of the offseason, though, Norwich are seemingly prioritising additions to their youth ranks, as Football Insider reported on Tuesday evening that the Canaries are planning to move for Huddersfield Town's Jay Smith-Sway.

The 19-year-old defender, who can also play in midfield, is set to enter the final year of his contract at the Accu Stadium, and the report states that there have yet to be talks surrounding a new deal being made.

Perhaps Kevin Nagle and the rest of the higher-ups at Huddersfield are waiting until a new manager is announced before talks can begin. Martin Drury is the current frontrunner, and with his experience as a youth coach at Bradford City and Manchester United, the teenager may find himself in and around the first team in West Yorkshire soon enough.

Nevertheless, that uncertainty surrounding his future has opened the door for a potential move, and given how quickly he's risen through the Huddersfield academy, it's no surprise that Championship clubs are registering interest.

Smith-Sway is yet to make his league debut for the Terriers, but did feature six times in EFL Trophy and EFL Cup action, including in their latter third round defeat against Manchester City.

He spent the final month of the campaign at National League side Hartlepool United, where he made five appearances for the Monkey Hangers as their play-off surge fell at the final hurdle. The 19-year-old contributed an assist off the bench in a 4-3 win over Southend United.

The versatile youngster would likely be loaned out further down the pyramid if Norwich were to secure his signature this summer, but there'd be every expectation that Smith-Sway could play regularly in the Canaries fold in the near future.

Norwich City may face competition for Jay Smith-Sway's signature

Despite not yet playing in the EFL, Smith-Sway is set to be the subject of a second-tier transfer battle, as Norwich could be set to face competition for his services.

Football Insider reported earlier this month that Middlesbrough had their eye on the 19-year-old, and that will likely not change this summer, as Kim Hellberg's side gear up for another Championship campaign following their play-off defeat.

With both Boro and Norwich set to be among the frontrunners for promotion out of the second tier this summer, it highlights that the 19-year-old is expected to be at the level to contend in the Premier League sooner rather than later.

Huddersfield will have a real struggle to keep Smith-Sway on their books this summer, but a breakout year in the Terriers' fold could lead the teenager to believe that his current club is the best place to emerge as a talent in the EFL.

To see him go from a young prospect who hadn't even made a League One matchday squad last season to a regular starter seems unlikely, though, so the West Yorkshire side may be powerless to prevent a departure. The question then would be, where would Smith-Sway go?