Norwich City

Norwich City striker Adam Idah has joined Scottish Premiership champions Celtic on loan until the end of season.

The Republic of Ireland international has scored seven goals in 34 appearances so far this season. He came through the ranks at Carrow Road and made his debut in August 2019.

The BBC understands that there is no option to make the move permanent at the end of the loan spell.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your takes on the news that Norwich City are set to say goodbye to one striker, but say hello to another.

Adam Idah looks to be heading to Celtic on loan, with Sydney van Hooijdonk looking likely to join from Italian side Bologna in a similar deal.

Here are some of your comments:

Sophie - I suppose that if Idah is going, to replace him with another striker is good! Surprised that we haven’t brought any youngsters in to play a few games for the U21s, have a couple of games on the bench then go on loan/join another team permanently! OTBC

Robson - Hopefully Idah will bang the goals in and someone will take a permanent punt in the summer. If he doesn't, it's a bit concerning for both parties.

Major P - Looks like a good signing on the face of it. I'm not an Idah fan at all so would like to see him leave permanently.

Matt - Won't be sad to see Idah go. He hasn't been able to perform or lock-down a starting spot under three managers. Often looks lost and behind the game, despite some important late goals. Will reserve judgement on the Dutch fella, we all remember what happened last time we got excited over a Dutch striker at Carrow Road.

Jake - Norwich need to improve the midfield depth. If Idah goes, we need a prolific goalscorer to replace him for when Sargent is tired or injured with the tough fixture list coming up.

Paul - Not too excited, time will tell.

Graham - Both Idah and van Hooijdonk have failed to live up to expectations at their clubs, maybe the move will do them both good.

Alex (Celtic and Norwich fan) - With a foot in both camps, I don't think Idah to Celtic is what we need. Probably needs a fresh challenge, but not convinced.

David - Norwich need a central defensive midfielder, so if it's only swapping one substitute striker for another, it's not exactly going to be a busy day.

Norwich City head coach David Wagner has been speaking to the media ahead of the Championship game against Coventry City on Saturday (15.00 GMT).

The transfer deadline is at 23.00 GMT on Thursday.

Here are some of the key points:

• Top scorer Jonathan Rowe and defender Danny Batth will both miss Saturday's game

• Rowe should be back in training next week following his recovery from a broken hand

• Wagner refused to be drawn on any news about deadline day transfers. Adam Idah has been in Glasgow finalising a loan move to Celtic. Meanwhile, the Canaries look likely to sign Bologna striker Sydney van Hooijdonk on a loan deal until the end of the season

• Winger Przemysław Płacheta has been linked with a move to Swansea, but Wagner refused to comment on that situation.

• On Saturday’s game: Wagner said his team are full of confidence when playing at Carrow Road

• On Coventry: Wagner said he is full of admiration for the Sky Blues’ manager Mark Robins. He said Robins has done a “remarkable job” and he has built a “top team”. Coventry are currently 6th in The Championship

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City striker Adam Idah looks set to leave Carrow Road and join Celtic on loan until the end of the season.

The Republic of Ireland international is second in the Canaries’ goal scoring charts this season, but hasn't been able to hold down a regular place in the first team.

City hero Grant Holt told BBC Radio Norfolk that a move away from Carrow Road is exactly what Idah needs:

"I don't think people have seen the best of him in regards to what he actually could be.

"If he goes and plays week-in, week-out, I think you will see what Adam is."

He continued, "I've known him since he was 16 and I get on with him really well. What people don't realise is that he's a really good kid, he works really hard, he wants to achieve stuff and he's got some really good attributes.

"If the club can let him go and play games and come back then it's fantastic. That's the objective."

Image source, Rex Features

Swansea City are eyeing a deadline-day move for Norwich City’s Poland international Przemyslaw Placheta.

Placheta, 25, is a left-sided midfielder although he has played at left-back.

His Norwich contract expires at the end of the season.

Placheta has made 61 appearances since joining Norwich in 2020, scoring two goals, and had an injury-hit loan spell at Birmingham City last season.

He has played 19 times for Norwich this season – but made only six starts – and has not featured since a defeat at Millwall on 29 December.

Swansea are short of left-sided options having sent Nathanael Ogbeta and Nathan Tjoe-A-On out on loan this month.

Josh Tymon is their first-choice left-wingback, while Kristian Pedersen has not featured in a league game since October and could be allowed to leave before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City goalkeeper Jon McCracken has joined Scottish Premiership side Dundee on loan until the end of the season.

McCracken has previously been on loan at the club earlier this season, he was also at League Two’s Accrington Stanley where he made 11 appearances.

Opinion: An ode to Kenny McLean

Image source, Getty Images

Matthew Soakell, North East Canary

Kenny McLean has played every possible minute of every league game for Norwich City in the Championship so far this season. Out of those 29 games, he’s captained the side 28 times in Grant Hanley’s absence and has four assists to his name, despite starting eight games at centre-back. Whilst players like Sara and Rowe rightly get the plaudits for their creativity and flair, McLean has shown the heart, passion and leadership on the pitch that, dare I say, Norwich have missed off the pitch over the last couple of years.

McLean has now been a Norwich City player since the January transfer window of 2018, albeit he was loaned back to Aberdeen for the remainder of the 17-18 season. Since then he’s established himself as a regular starter and more recently as vice-captain. A Scotland international since 2016, he’s matured into a stalwart in Norwich teams that’ve seen changes of managers and now sporting directors.

Of the 2018-19 Championship winning team, only McLean, Grant Hanley and Onel Hernandez remain at the club and all three, it could be argued, understand and embody what it means to play for Norwich City. We may moan about Hernandez’s end product, but he loves the club. Hanley is club captain and will likely reach 200 club appearances by the end of this season, McLean has already surpassed that milestone.

Given the amount of change and turnover in football - coaching staff and players alike - sometimes a club needs players like these to ensure others know what it means to wear the shirt with pride.

So, as frustrations ring out about Norwich City’s quiet winter transfer window (so far), it’s time we pay tribute to a Glaswegian who joined in January 2018 from Aberdeen.

McLean, who played alongside former Canary James Maddison at Pittodrie prior to the England international cementing his place in Daniel Farke’s swashbuckling side, already had nearly 300 first team appearances between top flight Scottish sides St Mirren and Aberdeen before his move to Norfolk. Not one to shy away from hard yards and taking some flack from time to time, in more recent years he’s not only donned a mayoral hat in the now infamous “I am now mayor of Norwich” quip, but has come out to defend his manager and take responsibility for the club’s performances on the pitch.

I recently had a friendly exchange with an Ipswich fan on X/Twitter, defending Sky Sports’ justification to include Gabriel Sara in their team of the Championship season so far. The Ipswich fan thought Sara was overrated and that Egyptian Sam Morsy was, in his words, “astronomically clear”. It was at this point I said that often those types of players - Morsy, McLean, Tyler Morton on loan at Hull and Swansea’s loanee Charlie Patino - often get overlooked in such team of the season accolades; they aren’t flair players who get 15 assists a season and complete five nutmegs a game and so often don’t get the glory they deserve. But football’s about balance and there’s a lot to be said for a holding midfielder who’ll give everything, break up play and let other players take the credit. Kenny McLean is one of these and one we must treasure.

As he said, stood on the balcony of City Hall, “What do you[s] want, just let me know… I’ll do it” — and that sort of can-do attitude and the qualities Kenny McLean brings on and off the pitch are something for which we should all be thankful to have at our club.

Already a strong contender for player of the season, with a second placed finish in the votes last year, the Mayor can do no wrong for me this season and I only wish we had more like him throughout our club.

Image source, Getty Images

The BBC understands that Norwich City are increasingly confident of signing Bologna striker Sydney van Hooijdonk before the transfer window closes at 23.00 GMT on Thursday. It would be a loan deal with an option of making it a permanent move in the summer.

23-year-old van Hooijdonk has spent the majority of the last two season on-loan at Heerenveen in his native Netherlands, last season he scored 16 goals in 35 appearances.

He is the son of former Celtic and Nottingham Forest forward Pierre van Hooijdonk.

The arrival of van Hooijdonk at Carrow Road would pave the way for Adam Idah to join Celtic on-loan. It's believed there would be no option to make the deal permanent at the end of the loan spell, though.

Let us know what you think about the potential arrival and departure here.

Image source, Getty Images

On this day - 31 January 2006

Norwich City left it late to sign a new striker on deadline day 2006.

The Canaries paid West Bromwich Albion £3.5m for Wales international Robert Earnshaw, the deal was completed just one hour before the cut-off point.

'Earnie' told the club website: "This is a new chapter in my life to enjoy. I just want to go out there and enjoy my football, it's as simple as that."

He played 45 times for City and scored 27 goals.

Opinion: 'None of us would object to last-minute transfer surprise'

Image source, Getty Images

Gary Gowers, My Football Writer - Norwich City, external

There’s a difference between being a well-run football club and a cautiously run football club. For many years, Norwich City were known for being the former when, in my view, they were always the latter.

But even amid two-and-a-half decades of caution, they have sailed very close to the wind in a financial sense. Very close. All the caution in the world hasn’t saved them from the financial precipice and all the signs point to them not being far from it again now.

Before this current transfer window, head coach David Wagner spoke of new sporting director Ben Knapper’s “very interesting, exciting, exciting ideas.”

Our appetite was whetted. We wondered perhaps if Mark Attanasio – US businessman and our soon-to-be joint minority shareholder – had helped make available some funds that would enable Knapper to do his first ever bit of wheeling and dealing.

We hoped.

Alas, for most of the window, nothing remotely exciting has happened. As we approached the final days, all we had was a rumoured bid for Sporting Gijón’s defensive midfielder Jonathan Varane – half-brother of Man Utd’s Raphael Varane – and talk of Adam Idah departing for Serie A’s Hellas Verona on a loan-to-buy deal.

With the greatest respect to Messrs Varane and Idah, even if those two were to come to fruition (they may not), it still wouldn’t equate to the “exciting, exciting” window described by Wagner. Things got a little more 'exciting' on Tuesday with a rumoured move for Bologna striker Sydney van Hooijdonk but overall it remains a quieter window than was suggested.

Quite what’s changed between 7 December 2023 and today is anyone’s guess, but the tone is now different and in the last week, Wagner has played down rather than talked up any talk of incomings to Carrow Road.

It could be Knapper keeping his powder dry ahead of the much-vaunted summer overhaul of the squad, where he desperately needs to reduce the average age of a squad that’s been dubbed Dad’s Army, or it could just be that age-old Norwich City curse – no money to spend.

Either way, those in power at Carrow Road are playing a dangerous game, in my opinion. With season ticket renewals just around the corner, this doesn’t feel like the time to sit on your hands and pretend everything is okay.

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about a quiet, boring window being a result for City fans, as it would mean not losing Gabriel Sara, Jon Rowe, Angus Gunn, and Josh Sargent, but none of us would object to a last-minute surprise…

A surprise of the good kind.

Norwich City top scorer Jonathan Rowe looks set to stay at the club beyond Thursday's transfer deadline.

Rowe has been linked with Lazio, Aston Villa and West Ham. He's currently out injured with a broken hand. (Ed Aarons, Guardian Sport), external

Image source, Getty Images

Your views: 'I don't want to see Idah go'

Here's some more of your recent comments on Norwich City, in particular your views on Adam Idah potentially leaving the club:

Toby - Adam Idah has always looked like the player with the most trust in Wagner, he’s now happy to jump ship at the first chance of leaving us? I can’t help but feel Idah leaving shows that there is more distrust in Wagner within the players than shows. Gutted he is leaving but he needs the chance to thrive.

Justin - Re: Idah - he's 23, and needs to play full games (needed to two seasons ago probably). So maybe he can get that time that he needs and Aboh or Kamara can take the impact player slot that he's been taking.

Lee - I do think it's time that Adam moves on. There is so much potential there, but if you look at the difference between him and Ashley Barnes in the Liverpool game - Barnes was busting a gut to close down and hassle the defenders, but Idah seems to wander about the pitch like a lost puppy. I'd like to see Rowe move up front, think he would be amazing.

Lorraine - I don't want to see him go, but he's definitely a confidence player and he needs to play regularly which he's not getting here. I watch a lot of Italian football and I think he'd do well.

Freddie - Think it’s for the best. A loan move should’ve been utilised four years ago after his Preston hat-trick. Feel as if his development has been hindered by being the third choice for his entire tenure, even under 3 different managers. Had plenty of big moments, just never got the run of games to really kick on. Hopefully this loan gives him that chance.

James - Gutted it hasn't worked out for him, but ultimately it's the club's fault. He needed a loan spell early on, but was instead forced to make do with cameo sub run-outs for Pukki late in games. Plus he's never had a manager TRULY believe in him. A serious run of games and I thought he would come good, such a shame. Fan hate is disgusting too.

Ben - £3m for Idah is absolutely crazy – 10 years ago, sure – but that is just undervaluing today's market.

Norwich City striker Adam Idah is moving closer to an agreement to leave the club ahead of Thursday's transfer deadline.

Serie A side Hellas Verona are interested in signing the Republic of Ireland international on a loan deal with an option to buy in summer 2024. (Mike McGrath, Daily Telegraph), external

Image source, Getty Images

On this day - 30 January 1994

Norwich City hosted Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round at Carrow Road.

Goals from Roy Keane and Eric Cantona gave the Red Devils a 2-0 win.

Cantona angered the Norwich fans by having a particularly tempestuous afternoon, which culminated in him appearing to aim a kick at Canary defender John Polston's head.

United went on to win that season's FA Cup by beating Chelsea at Wembley in May 1994.

The latest Scrimmage podcast is available now.

Rob Butler, Chris Reeve and Joe Dean discuss the Canaries' FA Cup defeat at Liverpool - could City have done more to get a positive result?

Plus, striker Adam Idah is rumoured to be on his way out of Carrow Road. We got some of the fans' thoughts on that big story.

Head here to download and subscribe,

Opinion: Clinging to the positives from Anfield

Steve Sanders, @ncfcnumbers, external

Norwich City may not have suffered the ignominy of defeat to sixth-tier opposition this weekend, but they did succumb to a much more routine defeat at Liverpool. Is there ever anything good to take out of a 2-5 loss?

Well, in case any Norwich fans needed a healthy dose of realism coming into Sunday’s game (and they probably didn’t), their opponents had played 16 at home this season, drawing two – against minnows Manchester United and Arsenal – and winning the rest. Oh and they scored 3+ goals in 11 of those 14 wins too.

As is obligatory for these 'Haves' v 'Have-Nots' contests, there’s also a comparison to be made between the relative financial clout of the two sides, and the combined transfer fee of the five players Jurgen Klopp brought off Liverpool’s bench was roughly equivalent to City’s total transfer payments in the last 10 years.

Indeed, the Canaries' 5-2 defeat at Anfield came in a week when the ever-growing chasm between first and second tier was starkly exposed. The other two Championship sides to visit Premier League opposition last week lost 0-5 and 1-6.

We’re really clutching at straws now, so it feels like an apt moment to bring in the weirdest fact of the weekend. Norwich City, with their famously dreadful record against Liverpool, now have a six-game goalscoring streak at Anfield, the longest of any side to have played there 6+ times this century (we’re trying to maintain positivity here, so let’s gloss over those results).

Perhaps more relevantly, for all the (justifiable) complaints about their defensive fragility this season, the five they shipped at Anfield ended a run of nine games where they’ve conceded no more than once. Only the miserly defence of the 2020/21 season has gone on a longer run than that in the last 20 years.

And finally; not a stat, but a question. Has any Norwich player’s first four goals for the club been quite as aesthetically pleasing as Borja Sainz’s? His long-distance piledriver on Sunday added to the one he got against Sheffield Wednesday. Throw in the mazy dribble and finish at Craven Cottage and the beautifully curled effort against Huddersfield, and it’s quite the gallery the Spaniard has to his name already.

Maybe the reminder that, even without Rowe and Sargent, the potential within this squad for that kind of moment of brilliance is the real silver lining to an otherwise cloudy afternoon.

Image source, Getty Images

Your views: 'I’m sure Idah's a great lad but time for him to move on'

We asked for your views on the rumour that Norwich City striker Adam Idah could be set for a move away from the club. Italian club Hellas Verona are reportedly interested in signing the Irish international on loan.

You also got in touch about Sunday's defeat at Liverpool in the FA Cup.

Here's what you had to say:

Toby - Always rated by our head coaches but never gets in the side (Idah), I’m sure he's a great lad but time for him to move on. What an opportunity to play in Italy.

Elliott - Wouldn’t mind Adam Idah going out on loan if he gets regular game time, the Italian first division could suit him really well. Problem is, I don’t think we can trust Ken Aboh to step up, he hasn’t even signed a contract yet. Most people haven’t even seen him play so who knows if he can step up?

Tom - Adam Idah has unfortunately been mismanaged by the club during his development. After his FA Cup hat trick, he should have been sent out on loan to build confidence and experience, unfortunately that wasn’t the case. We’re left with an under confident striker with raw talent being left to feed on scraps. Unfortunately, a move is probably right.

Kieran - Loaning out Idah without a replacement lined up would be a potential season-ruining moment. Fans trying to hype up Aboh - a guy who hasn’t even signed a professional deal let alone played a senior game yet just because he scored lots of goals in the U23s - as his instant replacement, could only hurt the young man in the long term.

Tomasso - Apart from an FA cup game a few years ago, Idah has not done much. Get rid and try and get money for him. His five-year contract was a joke.

Clive - There must be a manager that Ben Knapper wants but can’t have until end of season or he is totally out of his depth.

Jake - I really like Idah, but if he wants more game time there's only so much we can offer him. If a move gets Ken Aboh on the pitch I would be all for it.

Darren - We didn’t lay a glove on Liverpool for most of the match. The Sainz goal showed that we could have pushed harder. The issue with losing possession comes down to a tactical lack of movement and no players up the pitch. On Idah- letting him go would be a mistake. He’s only 23 and has all the attributes, but needs to be number two behind Sarge.

Grapeo - Having two goalkeepers on the bench was a joke, it goes against everything we’ve heard from Knapper. It just looked like two old friends got together and organised the game. We would have probably been beaten but we didn’t seem to have a go. On Idah - he’s been here too long and needs to go somewhere else and play. Knapper has got to start talking to the fans.

Andy - We were always going to lose, should have gone there to have a right go. Idah should go for his own development. He has been here too long and has not progressed to the standard we all expected. Squad needs a total rebuild before we look to go up. Squad is simply at Championship standard and fans expectations are not realistic.

Doan - On Idah, it's about time. The poor guy has been sniffing around the first team for three years. He has potential, but has been horribly mismanaged by Farke, Smith and Wagner. Should have gone out on loan years ago. On Liverpool - the goals we scored were amazing, defensive work less so. I hope Sainz does not go way of Tzolis or Rashica (flash in pan)

There's plenty to talk about in the world of Norwich City, as usual.

Get all the latest news and opinions on the BBC's Canary fanzine show The Scrimmage.

You can listen live on BBC Radio Norfolk at 18.00 GMT on Monday.

Host Rob Butler is joined by Chris Reeve and Joe Dean.

Image source, Getty Images

Have your say on the Canaries

Norwich were beaten 5-2 at Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round.

What did you think of City's performance?

Could they have done better?

Or, is a heavy defeat to be expected at the Premier League leaders?

Plus, there's rumours that Adam Idah could be going out on loan ahead of of Thursday's transfer deadline. The Irish international has been linked with a move to Serie A side Hellas Verona.

Would you be happy to see Idah leave?

Or, should City do all they can to keep him?

Get in touch here.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's the answer to our regular quiz, which is devised by BBC Radio Norfolk's Chris Goreham.

A reminder of the question:

Name the last 5 Norwich City players to score for the Canaries at Anfield (before yesterday's two goals in the 5-2 loss).

The answers:

Lukas Rupp 2022

Milot Rashica 2022

Teemu Pukki 2019

Russell Martin 2015

Bradley Johnson 2013

Well done if you got all five correct.

Lee Croft's verdict on Liverpool 5-2 Norwich City

Norwich City are out of the FA Cup.

The Canaries were beaten 5-2 by Liverpool at Anfield, the Reds will face Watford or Southampton in the fifth round.

Former City winger Lee Croft was BBC Radio Norfolk's expert summariser here's what he had to say at full time:

"It's a big scoreline but they've (Norwich) scored two goals, the second one being a great finish and they defended resiliently for the majority of the game."

He continued, "They just need to take this result now, move on and kick on in that league campaign. They're close to the play-off spots and that's what needs to be the main aim now."

You can hear more from Lee Croft by listening to Canary Call with Rob Butler on BBC Sounds here.