Norwich City supporters simply must show patience with £8.5m man - View | OneFootball

FLW examine Ante Crnac's start to life at Norwich City and what the long-term investment might mean.

Norwich City brought Ante Crnac to the club in a big-money move from Raków Częstochowa this summer after selling Adam Idah, Abu Kamara, and Gabriel Sara for hefty fees of their own.

Norwich were always going to bolster their attacking ranks after those sales, with Crnac earmarked as a player who could be a long-term asset at the age of just 20, but also as a player who can immediately impact the first-team.

He joined Raków Częstochowa for a reported fee of just €1 million last season, so his side look have made a huge profit on him, which is what Norwich may hope to do one day as they develop and refine his game.

Polish outlet Weszlo have reported that the Ekstraliga club accepted an offer of around €10 million for the versatile Croatia youth international.

While he can play on the flanks, Crnac can also be utilised in a central role, and could help to add some extra firepower to Johannes Hoff Thorup’s side in the Championship this season, as they look to build on their sixth-placed finish from the previous campaign.

He has played plenty of his career as a winger or attacking midfielder, whilst he can also operate as a striker as well. It's unclear what exactly he will develop into in the long-term, especially given his 6ft 3in frame.

After a disappointing start to the season, the Canaries needed attacking reinforcements, especially with Jon Rowe exiting the Norfolk ourfit too.

It is clear that they wanted to replace both Rowe and Kamara with someone who could potentially be flipped for profit as an asset in a few seasons, as many clubs in the Championship must operate in such a way to continue growing as a club.

They worked on a deal to bring Crnac to the club after an impressive 2023/24 season in the Polish Ekstraklasa, where he scored eight times in 26 appearances. He also registered five assists, taking his tally to 13 goal involvements in those league games.

Having someone who could be an analogue for Josh Sargent when called upon, as well as a player with plenty of quality in the forward line of three just behind him was a smart piece of recruitment from Norwich's perspective. Crnac should win a healthy amount of minutes for that reason.

Norwich City's commitment to Ante Crnac

So far, Crnac has failed to score in all of his four appearances, nor has he registered an assist. He has started three of those games, including being substituted at half-time against Coventry.

He has been substituted in each of those games, and has largely struggled, with just 57 touches in the three league outings. The best performance came against Sheffield United, with one shot, four shot creating actions for his teammates, and his highest pass completion of 76.2% (all stats per FBref).

However, the consistency and quality has served as a reminder for the time and patience required with young players. He has moved to a competitive league and a new country as a young player, thus needs the time to settle in.

He may well make a big impact over the course of the campaign, but fans ought to remember those factors instead of reminding Crnac of his hefty price tag, which could add further pressure on his young shoulders as he adapts to his new surroundings.

The good news is that Thorup is also one of the most promising young coaches in Europe, and marrying that up with exciting young talent like Crnac is likely to take time to click into gear but could reap plenty of rewards in time.

A man of Ben Knapper's talents behind the scenes could also be a major recipe for success, if they put the faith in him. He is a process-driven individual and will want to get this right. In that sense, the future looks promising from a Norwich City perspective.

Crnac is versatile, athletic, tall, and strong for his age, and it's clear that he knows where the back of the net is too. As a 20-year-old, Norwich will be fully aware that if he performs well for them, he could be someone that they make a big profit on in the years to come, and it could be a shrewd piece of recruitment if they are patient.

A four-year deal until 2028 signifies their intent on Crnac being a project to develop and build upon in the long-term, but he has plenty of the attributes to become a star with the right environment and utilisation, but the club will need to get that side of things nailed and support him in every way they can.