Fans have been dissatisfied with Norwich City’s use of the loan market in recent seasons, and Ben Knapper, the sporting director, has to do better in this area of transfer business.
Kaide Gordon’s stint at Carrow Road did not turn out the way he or his parent club had hoped, thus he was called back to Liverpool.
He only played 177 minutes in yellow and green and only scored once, so it’s questionable how much of it was his fault. However, he’s the latest in a long series of loan players who have failed to establish themselves at Norwich, possibly dating back to Ollie Skipp in the 2020–21 campaign.
A panic loan was Kaide Gordon.
When the 21-year-old signed on loan in the summer, he was already at a disadvantage. Gordon was scouted as a quick and simple replacement for wingers Jon Rowe and Abu Kamara, whose transfer drama put the team in jeopardy.
For a young player, meshing with the team early in the season is no easy task. Rowe was undoubtedly preferred as Johannes Hoff Thorup’s starting right-winger in his squad during preseason, despite drawing outside interest. This made Gordon’s integration into the team even more difficult from the coach’s and players’ points of view.
“I’d have loved to work with him if he had been a player here on a long contract,” the head coach said, expressing his admiration for Gordon.
His celebration demonstrated a passion that every supporter loves to see in their players, and his goal against Hull City shown that he could be in the right position at the right moment.
However, he was never given a genuine opportunity to establish himself in his brief tenure, and naturally, long-term initiatives like Ante Crnac take precedence over Premier League loans.
Matej Jurasek, a winger for Norwich, would finally render the Liverpool young player’s status at the team untenable.
He would recall that he “loved” his time at Norwich and that, in spite of his brief playing career, he gained some respect in Norfolk.
Callum Doyle, his loanee counterpart, has been on the other end of the effectiveness scale. He has played 2,332 minutes for the Canaries and established himself as a mainstay in Thorup’s squad.
His loan is much more of a deliberate transfer than a means to an end, though, as head of recruitment Lee Dunn had scouted the Manchester City defender months before the team won his signing.
In recent seasons, Norwich has hardly used loan players.
Sydney van Hooijdonk’s acquisition last season was a bad decision for everyone. He made just 12 appearances at an average of little over 10 minutes per game under David Wagner, essentially serving as a placeholder for the departing Adam Idah.
Aaron Ramsey, a loanee from Aston Villa, showed potential at Carrow Road during the 22–23 campaign. Under his old manager Dean Smith, he would score three goals and set up three, but the other Villa guy left as soon as the first one was fired. Perhaps his most memorable moment at Carrow Road was when, just months after his loan was terminated, he devilishly celebrated a goal in front of the opposing Norwich supporters when playing for Middlesbrough.
Isaac Hayden also signed that summer, however he only made 14 appearances due to an injury-plagued loan. Marquinhos of Arsenal made a splash at Carrow Road in January of that year, scoring his first goal and dishing up an assist. He would then rapidly deteriorate, contributing little during his loan period.
When a player is brought in to gain experience and finish off loose ends, it’s uncommon to see their greatest play, as is the case with all Championship loans. Lewis Dobbin, a recent Norwich loanee, hasn’t performed well at West Brom this season, so it’s unclear how he’ll perform with the Canaries.
Doyle’s importance indicates that Knapper has had some success in the loan market and has now had time to establish himself on Carrow Road, but he will want to make improvements in this month and in subsequent periods.
Although Gordon was well regarded by both the management and his teammates, he was typically unable to show it on the pitch.
Knapper has complete control over what happens next, but if he wants Norwich to contend for promotion in the upcoming seasons, he will want to steer clear of past blunders. Premier League loans are probably going to continue to play a significant role in the transfer strategy.
