Dean Ashton: Norwich City - A Second Chance

@Merv: I'm sorry!

I liked Pilkington ever since he scored that winner against United last season(I hate United) and I liked Snotgrass Snodgrass ever since he was at Leeds. But I just felt that the money was too much to pass and I didn't think I'd get an offer like that again.

Ince, huh? We'll just have to wait and see!

Just for the record the fees were - 6m for Surman, 5m for Turner, 6.75m for Pilk and 11.5m for Snoddy.

Great to see a story with Norwich, are you using the update? Love your style by the way.

great story so far, I like the detail in each post

@Hamoudi: Yes, I'm using an LFCMarshall update, but can't remember from exactly when. But all the major transfers so far(Jovetic, Neymar etc) are all done.

@LFC: Thanks mate!

That's a good bit of income, hope you can reinvest well

Excellent start Arv, how is Wolfswinkel?

@Emma: That's the plan!

@Jason: Have only gotten through the friendlies and two league games so far, but he seems like a defense-wrecker to me *evil laugh*

Snotgrass for that much is impressive, as well as the other players.. who do you plan on getting though? I recommend re reading my story so that you can see my first signings

@Jeremy: I would, but all the images on it are broken

Norwich sell deadwood

...but replacements are nowhere to be seen

Norwich have continued their clean-out this summer, as the club confirmed the departures of seven more players, bringing the number of players leaving Carrow Road to a grand total of eleven.

Fan favourite Wes Hoolahan leaves for recently relegated Reading for a fee of £3.4m. Meanwhile, Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay has decided to strengthen his squad with a winger, and for that reason has taken Elliott Bennett off Norwich's hands in exchange for £3.1m. Midfielder Jonny Howson has joined Paolo di Canio's revolution at the Stadium of Light, and the Wearside club have parted with £3.7m for the 24-year-old.


The third former Leeds United player to leave Norwich this summer is Argentine Luciano Becchio. The forward only arrived in January in a part exchange deal for Steve Morison, but not been able to find his form. Fulham will take the striker to London for a generous sum of £5m. Leon Barnett and Daniel Ayala have been shipped off to Doncaster and Granada respectively, for around £1m each, while midfielder Bradley Johnson was the shock departure among them all, joining former captain Grant Holt at Wigan for just £1.5m - a move that hasn't gone down well with the fans at all.


While the overall reaction from the fans to the sales is positive - mainly due to the amount of money earned - the Canaries supporters are growing increasingly frustrated at the club's inability to sign replacements. With pre-season scheduled to start in under a month, the number of first team players has dwindled down to just eighteen.

Ashton has only made approaches for two players so far, but has failed to sign either of them. The club had a £3m offer accepted for Cagliari midfielder Albin Ekdal, but the Swede turned them down in favour of a move to Udinese. Norwich were also successful with a £7m bid for Swansea's Nathan Dyer, but the pacey winger has rejected their approach in order to stay at the Liberty Stadium for the club's campaign in next season's Europa League competition.

With the deals out of the club sorted, Ashton will need to move quickly to bring in players or risk fan outrage. But with a transfer kitty of £9m - boosted by sales of players for a total of £48.5m - it shouldn't be too difficult for the Canaries manager.

Wow!Some big departures there. I wonder who you will bring in

Wow you've gone selling mad haha

The Italian Job

Norwich complete first signings

Norwich have finally completed their first wave of signings this summer - to the delight of Canaries fans - and as it turns out, all of them are from Italy!


Atalanta ace Giacomo Bonaventura was in demand by several of Serie A's top clubs - including Roma and Milan - but the Nerazzurri did not receive an official bid for the 22-year-old due to the precarious financial situation in Italy, and so the versatile midfielder has decided to move on to Norwich in hopes of having a better chance of catching the eye of national team boss Cesare Prandelli. Several pundits and newspapers in Italy are calling the deal a bargain for Norwich as they grabbed him for £3.9m, when his market value was around €6m.


Unlike Bonaventura, Giuseppe Bellusci was not hunted by many clubs in the Serie A, but the defender has had a solid but quiet season for Catania. And like his compatriot, he hopes break into the national squad, and had pursued a transfer away from the club. Norwich were the first to bite, and Bellusci will move to England while Catania will be happy with the £3.5m fee they received for him.

The next two signings appear to be made with the intention of providing depth to the squad, as Sampdoria left-back Andrea Costa and Cagliari striker Marco Sau link up with their countrymen at Carrow Road for sums of £1.7m and £2.4m respectively.



But Ashton's Italians do not seem to be the last signings Norwich will make this summer, with the club reportedly having made a bid for an unknown FC Porto player. In addition, they are also considering signing Wigan's James McCarthy and Blackpool's Tom Ince, but it remains to be seen if a move for either will go through.

Great signings mate, Bellusci is class!

A great start here Arvind! Interesting start with getting rid of a lot of players but I'm sure it will work out for you after some good signings!