How do Norwich City become a Premier League regular?

Nobody can say that Norwich City’s success this season is a coincidence.

While some of their recent signings could be regarded as pure serendipity, their approach to football is unlike any other team in the Football League. However, while their philosophy can kindle immense success, it also stifles their efforts when playing at a higher level.

By all regards, Norwich aren’t an EFL club. Some of the goals that they’ve scored since Daniel Farke took over are so beautiful that they could be entered for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The Canaries’ Championship opponents can’t handle their intense attacking football, and that’s why they’re on the verge of sealing a second league title in just three years.

On the other hand, they don’t feel quite feel like a Premier League outfit either. Norwich don’t belong in a division dominated by ultra-rich cash cows that exist to generate profit as much as to win titles. After all, their record signing is still the £9.1 million that they paid for Steven Naismith back in 2016.

But ultimately, that’s where they’re going to be playing next season, and they’re going to have to adapt to the top flight unless they want to add to their three relegations from the last seven years.

That’s what every Norwich fan wants to avoid. The “yo-yo club” moniker has stuck to them like glue over the last decade, but it’s hard to say that it isn’t justified. The Canaries have managed just two Premier League seasons without suffering relegation since 1994.

Of course, the club’s long-term aim is to become an established name in the top flight, but that was the expectation after their last promotion-winning campaign in 2018/19. There’s no need to explain how badly the following season was at NR1.

So what do they need to do differently this time?

There’s no debating that this Norwich side is very different to that of, for example, their play-off winning team of 2015. The quality and depth in their current crop of players makes them arguably one of the best sides in Championship history. Emi Buendia, Todd Cantwell, Max Aarons and Teemu Pukki are the standout performers in a star-studded squad. All four have a full Premier League season under their belts and are clearly better for it.

Of course, their incredible performances in the Championship this season has seen increased interest from some of the top clubs in Europe.

The sale of James Maddison to Leicester in 2018 still leaves a sour taste in the mouths of Norwich fans, especially given the success that he’s had at both domestic and international level since leaving Carrow Road.

However, the decision to sanction his departure was necessary from a financial perspective. The Canaries had just finished 14th in the Championship, and parachute payments from their last Premier League season were coming to an end. The club needed money, and he was their only valuable asset at the time.

Upon their relegation back to the second tier last summer, they were lucky that Ben Godfrey and Jamal Lewis were the only major players to leave the club on permanent deals. The rest of the squad were convinced by the project to make an immediate return to the top flight, and stuck with the Canaries in the second tier.

Now they’ve accomplished this, the current situation at Norwich is much different.

The Canaries have no obligation to sell their best players this summer. Financially, they’ll be expecting a huge inflow of revenue from Premier League prize money and broadcast rights, while the return of fans to Carrow Road will help boost profits even further.

Of course, everybody has a price. Buendia was regularly linked with Arsenal in the January transfer window, while Aarons was reportedly on the verge of joining FC Barcelona last year. Both would be likely to command fees of around £50 million if they were to depart Carrow Road at the end of this season.

Keeping ahold of them would be a major statement of intent from Norwich, and their previous Premier League experience would undoubtedly play a major part in any hopes of surviving in the top flight. However, the Canaries’ incredible record with signings would likely nullify any concerns if they do lose their star players.

Stuart Webber has been given significant credit for masterminding the club’s transfer strategy, which largely focuses on signing talented players from lower divisions elsewhere in Europe. Their niche scouting scope allows them to negotiate minimal fees for players they want, moulding them into perfect additions for Farke’s system upon their arrival in Norfolk.

Pukki is, of course, the best example of this, having joined the club on a free transfer from Brøndy in 2018. The Finnish international has scored 65 goals for Norwich in just 119 games, making him a firm fan favourite and a catalyst in both their promotion campaigns.

However, the Canaries’ recruitment policy will soon have to change. According to The Athletic, the likes of Pukki and Buendia would not be able to join the club in the current climate due to work permits surrounding Brexit. The points based system that has been implemented for players arriving from the EU eliminates any hopes of Norwich making signings from lower-league clubs abroad.

Perhaps that means that attentions will turn to the club’s academy, which has a strong record of consistently producing top talent in recent years. Cantwell is arguably the star of the Canaries’ youth system, while Aarons also came through the ranks after leaving Luton Town. 20-year-old Adam Idah has failed to manage a consistent run of games due to injury, but could be the next academy graduate to break into Farke’s starting lineup.

Perhaps the German manager is at the centre of Norwich’s plans for long-term success, as sticking with him after their relegation has proven to be a brilliant decision. Sheffield United have come under fire for failing to do the same with Chris Wilder, with the Blades crashing back to the second tier in a similar fashion to the Canaries last season.

While many top Bundesliga clubs have been eyeing up a move for Farke, it’s clear that he is fully devoted to Norwich’s goal of becoming a Premier League regular. However, with his contract expiring next summer, the club will likely be keen to tie him down and put him in the best possible position to lead them forward over the coming years.

Ultimately, Norwich don’t have to work harder, they have to work smarter. Changing their ideology at this stage would be ludicrous, and the club simply doesn’t have the same funds as the other clubs in the division. Instead, they have to focus on what they’re good at: developing youth products and signing underappreciated players that suit Farke’s high intensity style of play.

The gap between Europe’s elite and the rest of football continues to grow day-by-day, and the Premier League is possibly the best example of that gargantuan divide. That suits Norwich, who thrive off being the underdogs. Even though their aim is to become a top flight regular, their current identity has to remain a constant no matter what division they’re in. At the end of the day, that’s why they’ve had such monumental success in the last three years.

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