Norwich City made the unexpected call to part ways with head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup last month following their failure to reach the play-offs. Despite making a positive impression during his short stint as interim boss, Jack Wilshere will not be handed the role on a permanent basis and is anticipated to leave the club entirely.
Sporting director Ben Knapper has confirmed that the club’s managerial search will concentrate on external candidates. The incoming boss may face the challenge of losing several key players, with top scorers Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent — who netted 19 and 15 goals respectively — potentially heading for the exit.
But Sainz and Sargent might not be the only departures on the horizon. According to Sky Germany, Borussia Dortmund are monitoring Ante Crnac as they seek a backup striker to support Serhou Guirassy.
Norwich paid a reported £8.5 million last summer to bring Crnac in from Polish side Rakow Czestochowa, despite his modest tally of nine goals in 40 games prior. While he didn’t entirely meet expectations in his debut season, he still delivered a promising campaign at Carrow Road, especially considering he was often played out of position.
As speculation grows over Dortmund’s interest, FLW’s Norwich fan pundit Zeke Downes believes the club should hold out for a substantial fee. While Downes hopes Crnac stays, he acknowledged that an offer in the region of £15 million to £20 million could be hard to turn down.
“I don’t think we let Crnac go unless Sargent stays, which I doubt will happen,” Downes told FLW. “We only just signed him for £8.5 million and he’s already shown flashes of quality, with goals and assists, even when not played in his ideal role. He’s still young and has a lot of room to grow.
“If Dortmund do come in, I’d understand him wanting to move, but it has to be for a profit — £15 to £20 million. If they offered £20 million, it’d be tough to refuse, though we’d then be left without any strikers.
“If we sold Crnac for £20 million, Sargent for around £15 to £20 million, and Sainz for a similar amount, we’d have a strong financial base to bring in multiple attacking reinforcements. That could also allow us to target players like Lewis Dobbin and Jacob Wright.”
Despite Dortmund’s interest, a move to the Bundesliga giants may come too soon for Crnac. His first year in English football had its challenges, largely due to playing out of position, but he showed enough potential to suggest he could thrive with more time.
With Sargent expected to move on, Norwich would be wise not to lose Crnac as well. While they may entertain offers in the £15–£20 million bracket, such a bid is unlikely for a player still finding his feet in the Championship. Crnac clearly has the ability to succeed at a higher level eventually, but staying at Norwich for another season could be the best step for his development right now.
