Following their amazing 2011 Premier League promotion, Norwich City made a number of signings, including Daniel Ayala.
After six years out of the division, Paul Lambert guided the Canaries to consecutive promotions from League One to the top tier.
The Norfolk team brought in a number of new players as they were ready for life back in the top division.
Ayala, who had been at Liverpool since 2007, reportedly paid £800,000 to move to Carrow Road, according to the BBC.
The centre-back was acquired by the Red from Sevilla and had Championship loan stints with Hull City and Derby County before making the permanent move to Norwich.
At the tender age of eighteen, he played at the highest level for the Merseyside team, making five Premier League appearances (all stats via Fbref).
Daniel Ayala’s time in Norwich
Ayala’s signing generated some enthusiasm, particularly because he was known to be a young player with promise who was developing at Liverpool.
The defender was prepared to make the jump to the Premier League in an attempt to support Norwich in keeping their spot in the division, having already gained a good deal of senior experience.
The Spaniard made his debut for Lambert’s team in a 1-1 draw with Stoke City, coming on as a substitute for the last 25 minutes of play.
However, he missed several months of action due to a knee injury he sustained in a League Cup game, delaying his first league start until December.
But after just six starts, he was cut from the squad once more due to a fitness problem.
Ayala consented to a summer loan move with Nottingham Forest, therefore he never played for the team again.
In the following season, a second loan stint with Middlesbrough led to a permanent relocation to the Riverside in 2014.
The Canaries made it through their first two seasons back in the Premier League, but after finishing in 19th position in the standings in 2014, they were demoted to the Championship.
Daniel Ayala’s career in championships
Ayala continued on to establish himself as a cornerstone for Middlesbrough in the Championship, even contributing to their 2016 promotion under Aitor Karanka.
As Karanka’s team finished second in the standings, the now 33-year-old made 35 appearances in the league.
Ayala struggled to get regular playing time in the elite division once more, but the defender was a reliable presence for Boro while they were in the Championship.
Over the course of six seasons at the Riverside, he made 175 league appearances, establishing himself as a reliable player.
Throughout his three years at Ewood Park, Ayala made 56 more appearances for Blackburn Rovers, demonstrating his value at this level.
In the end, everything worked out for everyone, even though the transfer to Carrow Road fell short of expectations.
Ayala had a successful career, but Norwich only managed to stay in the Premier League for three years before being relegated to the Championship for reasons other than this particular signing’s failure to pan out.
It’s telling how little of an impact the Spaniard made at Carrow Road that some Canaries supporters may have forgotten he ever played for them, considering they only paid a six-figure price for the failed transfer.
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