If Norwich City wants to sign Anis Ben Slimane on a permanent basis next summer, they will have to pay Sheffield United a buy-option price.
The Tunisian international has had a mixed bag of results since joining Carrow Road on a late-window loan. Although Johannes Hoff Thorup has been starting much more frequently lately due to the current wave of injuries to his players, he had trouble making the first XI shortly after arriving.
In Norwich’s most recent game, a 6-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle at home, he scored his maiden goal. The 23-year-old was able to apply a hard finishing touch after entering the area just in time to meet Jack Stacey’s low-driven pass.
The buy-option price for Anis Ben Slimane was disclosed.
Should the Canaries decide to make Slimane a permanent member of their team next summer, there will be a cost. According to Danish publication Tipsbladet, they will have to pay €1.7 million (about £1.4 million) to sign the midfield player next summer.
Right now, this is simply a possibility. However, according to Tipsbladet, this would become a requirement if City finished in the top six and Slimane started half of the games.
It’s not unlikely that it will be made mandatory. The Canaries are presently only five points behind the top six in the league, and the Blades loanee is expected to start at least half of the team’s league games this season.
This summer, Slimane’s parent club was looking to let go of a number of players. The midfielder had played in the Danish division when the Norwich manager was in charge of FC Nordsjaelland, and Hoff Thorup was quite forthright about his desire to sign him.
Norwich might use their Anis strategically. Purchase option for Ben Slimane
The Canaries can be pretty adorable in their handling of the matter, depending on where they are in the league and whether they want to sign the Tunisian at the end of the season.
Norwich can choose to start him more frequently in order to make the clause essential and ensure that he stays with them if they decide they would like to keep him and have a decent chance of making the playoffs.
Alternatively, if they are in a similar situation but decide he is not for them, they can intentionally employ him less and less so they are not forced to take him on at the end of the campaign.
In actuality, City is in a pretty good situation.
