Norwich City must do all they can to dash Rob Edwards’ hope of reunion with Luton Town man at Middlesbrough | OneFootball

Norwich City must do all they can to sign Luton Town's Alfie Doughty ahead of Middlesbrough.

Norwich City have had a very productive summer so far as they look to build a team that can win promotion to the Premier League next season.

The Canaries had hoped to be in the mix to go up in the previous campaign, but they fell short under Johannes Hoff Thorup, who was sacked with just a few games to go.

Since then, the Norwich hierarchy has wasted little time in making changes, with Liam Manning appointed as the new head coach, and he has been backed with several signings already, including Vladan Kovacevic, Jakov Medic and Harry Darling.

Norwich City still need to strengthen this summer

There is still plenty of work to do for Norwich, although how many signings they need will depend on who they manage to retain at Carrow Road.

Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent have unsurprisingly attracted plenty of attention, and it seems unlikely that they will remain in Norfolk beyond the end of the transfer window.

Obviously, they will command huge fees, which will impact the budget, so it makes sense that Norwich will wait to do further deals when they know the situation surrounding their two star men.

Alfie Doughty would be a shrewd signing for Norwich City

However, there will be some potential deals that Norwich can’t afford to wait for, and Alfie Doughty is one of those.

The 25-year-old is currently at Luton, but their relegation to League One means that a summer departure feels inevitable, and it has been claimed that Middlesbrough are targeting Doughty.

Crucially, though, they aren’t in a position to finalise any move imminently, so a reunion with his former Hatters boss Rob Edwards at the Riverside Stadium is still up in the air.

Therefore, Norwich should be doing all they can to bring the player to Carrow Road, as he would be a huge asset for Manning to add to his squad.

Alfie Doughty can solve a problem position for Norwich City

Whether it’s at left-back or left wing-back, Doughty is a capable performer, and that versatility gives Manning the chance to mix things up if he wants, as we don't know yet which formation he will adopt moving forward.

Either way, though, the left-side is going to be a position Norwich look to address over the coming weeks. Callum Doyle spent a chunk of last season at full-back, but he has obviously returned to Man City after his loan spell, which leaves Ben Chrisene as the only natural left-back in the squad.

The youngster did a job when he was in the side, before his campaign was cut short by injury, but it's clear he still needs to develop, which is understandable given his age at just 21.

So, a new option is required, and Doughty would represent a clear upgrade, and someone who can go straight into the XI and improve the team.

The former Charlton man is great at getting up and down the left flank, and he boasts real quality with his crossing. That was evident in the Premier League, where Doughty registered eight assists in 23/24, and emerged as the standout performer for the Hatters in the top-flight.

Whilst his most recent season was disrupted by injury, he still made contributions, and there’s a strong argument to be had that Luton would’ve stayed in the Championship had Doughty played more than 26 games.

We saw how much emphasis Manning put on the wing-backs during his time at Ashton Gate, and he will want players down the flanks who can offer an outlet in attack, as well as energy to get up and down the pitch all game - something which Doughty has shown he can do.

Norwich have had an impressive window so far, but Manning still needs more quality if he is to make the team genuine promotion contenders next season.

Bringing in Doughty would be another step in the right direction, and it would solve a position that has been problematic for Norwich over the years.

Luton’s relegation has opened up a window of opportunity for clubs, and if Norwich can act swiftly once again to get ahead of rivals, it could be another coup going into the Championship season.