A new era has begun at Norwich City with the appointment of Johannes Hoff Thorup as head coach.
The Canaries decided to part ways with David Wagner last month following their 4-0 defeat to Leeds United in the play-off semi-final second leg, selecting Thorup as his successor.
Thorup, who had managed FC Nordsjaelland since January 2023, led them to a fourth-place finish in the Danish Superliga this season, though they failed to qualify for European football.
Thorup is expected to have a busy summer at Carrow Road, already making his first signing with defender Jose Cordoba from Bulgarian club Levski Sofia.
Norwich has released Jon McCracken, Danny Batth, Ben Gibson, Sam McCallum, and Dimitris Giannoulis at the end of their contracts. Additional departures could follow, as several key players are likely to attract interest from other clubs.
Turkish club Trabzonspor reportedly had a bid for midfielder Marcelino Nunez rejected, and players like Gabriel Sara, Jonathan Rowe, and Josh Sargent are also on the radar of other clubs after impressive seasons.
Thorup faces a significant decision regarding striker Adam Idah, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Celtic. The Scottish club is keen to sign him permanently, but there might be challenges in finalizing the deal.
Idah played regularly for Norwich in the first half of the season, mostly as a substitute, before moving to Celtic on the last day of the winter transfer window. He made a substantial impact at Celtic Park, scoring crucial goals that helped the team win the Scottish Premiership title and the Scottish Cup.
In the 2023-24 season, Idah’s statistics according to Transfermarkt are as follows:
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|————–|————-|——-|———|
| Norwich City | 34 | 7 | 1 |
| Celtic | 19 | 9 | 2 |
Idah scored a 90th-minute winner in the Scottish Cup final against Rangers at Hampden Park last month, and Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers expressed his desire to sign Idah permanently.
“For me, he was the catalyst of our season because we needed a different dimension up front. The big guy comes in, he has so much potential and played in some really important games,” Rodgers told the Daily Record.
“What I love about Adam is he is a big game player. He loves the big games and occasions. Hopefully, we can do something. He has a long-term contract at Norwich but he is definitely one I would love to bring back here. At 23 with the potential and quality he has I think he can really push on in his career.”
Had Wagner stayed at Carrow Road, Celtic might have found it easier to secure Idah permanently. Wagner once called Idah “the most dangerous substitute in the league,” indicating he didn’t see him as a regular starter, and would likely have allowed his departure this summer.
However, Thorup intends to evaluate Idah during pre-season before making a decision on his future. With Thorup known for giving young players opportunities, he may be reluctant to let Idah go.
Josh Sargent was Norwich’s top scorer this season with 16 goals in 30 games and is reportedly attracting interest from Wolves, Brentford, and Leeds, according to The Sunday Mirror. If Sargent leaves, Thorup might be even more determined to retain Idah.
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