Norwich plan summer attack after 27 wide starts — Fire In Bracknell Today
Norwich City enter fire in bracknell today with a clear summer problem in the wide channels after their five main options outside Ali Ahmed managed just 27 league starts last season. Ben Knapper is expected to target attacking reinforcements, with the club already having lost Tony Springett and Jeffrey Schlupp from those roles.
Norwich City wide options
Ahmed, Papa Amadou Diallo and Matej Jurasek are Norwich’s primary traditional winger options. Amankwah Forson, Errol Mundle-Smith and Ante Crnac can also play wide, but the low start total shows how often the group was reshuffled rather than settled.
Philippe Clement turned to Liam Gibbs and Kenny McLean on the flanks on multiple occasions last season, while Jovon Makama was used there even though he prefers to operate as a striker. That mix leaves Norwich with players who can cover the role, but fewer who look like fixed wide starters heading into the summer window.
Emi Marcondes role
The shortage is not limited to the touchlines. Three natural options remain in the number 10 position after Emi Marcondes’ exit, with Oscar Schwartau, Anis Ben Slimane and Paris Maghoma in the frame to play behind the striker.
Clement also experimented with Jacob Wright and Mathias Kvistgaarden in that role during the last campaign. The wider attack has already been thinned by departures, and the club’s remaining cover has had to move across several positions rather than settle into one.
Elliot Myles contract
Elliot Myles remains contracted until 2028, with an option of a further year, but Clement deemed him not ready for Championship football as recently as March. That leaves Norwich planning for a summer search in which the wide player hunt is set to be a key part of the transfer strategy.
For supporters, the immediate read is simple: Norwich are not short of names, but they are short of certainty in the areas that drive chances from the wings and behind the striker. Knapper’s task is to turn that patchwork into a wider attack before the new campaign starts.
