This season, one player at Carrow Road has unquestionably distinguished himself from the others.
Although Norwich City’s season has been uneventful, Borja Sainz has been playing at the highest level of his abilities.
The Spaniard has been a constant menace to defences throughout the Championship and has started all 18 of Norwich’s league games this season.
In those eighteen appearances, Sainz has scored an astonishing fifteen goals and provided two assists. In addition, he has already scored two hat-tricks this season, which is really amazing given that he typically plays out wide.
Sainz has had to raise up his game because Norwich lost some important players over the summer, including Jon Rowe and Gabriel Sara, and he has undoubtedly done so.
His strong play will, however, have drawbacks because the player will probably be the focus of more attention. Spanish teams, including Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Club, and Villareal, are reportedly interested in signing Sainz soon.
Naturally, his departure would be yet another devastating blow to the Canaries, but one offensive player has recently improved and might lessen the impact of Sainz’s possible exit just a little.
The enhanced performances of Ante Crnac
In the summer, Ante Crnac joined Norwich, and he wasn’t cheap. The striker was a relatively unknown player when the Canaries spent an estimated £8.5 million on him, so it was a significant gamble.
Although he had scored several goals in Poland and his native Croatia in the past, he had not yet established himself in the English game or, for that matter, at a top level in Europe.
Naturally, it has taken Crnac some time to settle into the Championship, but because of injuries in the team, he has been given a lot of playing time.
Although it was his lone goal in his first 13 league outings, the 20-year-old scored his first goal for the team against Stoke City. He eventually scored his second goal during a crushing defeat over Plymouth Argyle, but it was his performance a few days later that had Norwich supporters buzzing.
Everyone at the club would have been happy with the Croatian’s two goals and one assist as the Canaries defeated Luton Town 4-2 at Carrow Road over the weekend.
He would be a good addition to Johannes Hoff Thorup’s attacking lineup if he can get into gear and maintain his goal-scoring form. This would also relieve some of the strain on the team due to Sainz’s possible departure.
Norwich’s 2024–2025 campaign thus far
Throup replaced David Wagner as Norwich’s manager during the summer, ushering in a new era. The team had to rebuild after losing several important players, thus the Dane faced a difficult task. As a result, their performances have occasionally fallen short of expectations.
It hasn’t been a complete failure, either, as they are now in ninth place in the standings, five points outside of the play-off spots. The Canaries just moved into the top half of the standings with back-to-back victories over Plymouth and Luton, scoring a combined ten goals.
Sainz’s departure seems certain given the next two windows, but there is hope that the Canaries will have someone on staff who can eventually take his position as a goal threat now that Crnac is beginning to demonstrate his abilities.
