Norwich City’s preparations for the upcoming summer transfer window have been disrupted by the exit of a key member of their recruitment team.
Mariela Nisotaki, who played a pivotal role in shaping the Canaries’ transfer strategy, left the club last month to join another English side. Her move is tied to a new ownership group that is expected to be officially confirmed in the coming weeks, according to The Pink Un.
Her departure is a major setback for Norwich, as she was instrumental in securing talents like Gabriel Sara, Emi Buendia, and Marcelino Nunez during her time at Carrow Road.
Despite working largely behind the scenes, Nisotaki’s contributions were crucial to Norwich’s success over the past eight years. She joined the club midway through the 2016/17 season from Atromitos Athens in Greece, having also previously worked as a performance analyst at Swansea City.
Initially brought in as a scout, she later became a video analyst under Daniel Farke and steadily progressed through various roles—such as lead recruitment analyst, head of emerging talent, and most recently, assistant head of recruitment alongside department head Lee Dunn.
Nisotaki’s influence extended beyond Europe. She spearheaded Norwich’s expansion into the South American market, personally scouting players on the continent. This led to the signings of Gabriel Sara from São Paulo and Marcelino Nunez from Universidad Católica, both of whom became key players.
One of her most notable successes was identifying Emi Buendia. When asked by incoming recruitment chief Kieran Scott if the club had missed any targets, Nisotaki immediately presented Buendia’s scouting report. Norwich signed the Argentine for just over £1 million in 2018, and sold him to Aston Villa for a club-record £33 million three years later.
More recently, Nisotaki had been involved in reshaping Norwich’s recruitment strategy to focus on younger talent, working closely with Lee Dunn and sporting director Ben Knapper.
With the summer transfer window fast approaching, Norwich City are now racing to fill the void left by her departure.
