‘Some Distance’ – Norwich City With Work To Do On Swoop | OneFootball

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Norwich City are in talks with Italian side Hellas Verona for Cheikh Niasse, but there is some distance between the two clubs over the defensive midfielder.

The Canaries went through a rollercoaster of a season in the recent campaign, but ultimately finished ninth in the Championship under the guidance of Philippe Clement.

Clement arrived at Carrow Road when the club were staring at a relegation battle, but managed to stabilise the team, and a former Norwich City star hailed the club’s management for a ‘masterstroke’ in appointing the Belgian.

Norwich and Clement are now fully focused on strengthening the squad this summer to challenge for promotion and the Canaries want to add steel in midfield.

That desire has led Norwich to Italy and Senegalese midfielder Niasse.

Now is not the first time Niasse has garnered interest from England, as back in 2021, Nottingham Forest were set to sign the defensive midfielder, but a move never materialised.

Now, despite a long contract with Hellas Verona, Niasse’s future could be away from Italy and in England.

Talks are taking place between Norwich and Hellas Verona over the 26-year-old, but according to Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, there is ‘some distance’ between the two clubs.

Norwich will hope that they can bridge that gap and bring the Senegalese midfielder to Carrow Road.

Niasse initially arrived at Hellas Verona on loan from Swiss outfit Young Boys in 2025 before signing a four-year deal at the club.

This term, the 26-year-old played a bit part role, making only 22 appearances in all competitions, and he was unable to help Hellas Verona avoid relegation to Serie B.

With the summer transfer window already under way, Norwich will want to make key additions to their squad ahead of pre-season, which will commence in July.

The Canaries have been looking into the transfer market to bring in quality personnel, and they have been linked with Barcelona starlet Hamza Abdelkarim.

A move for Abdelkarim now looks unlikely, with Barcelona keen to assess him in pre-season.

Niasse still has three years left on his current contract with Hellas Verona, but with uncertainty surrounding his future at the club and relegation into Serie B, a move away seems the most likely outcome.

Norwich are not alone in their admiration of the Senegalese, with up to three clubs having made enquiries about signing him.