Norwich City: Ben Knapper faces tough Sheffield United, Blackburn Rovers call | OneFootball

Norwich City captain Grant Hanley is reportedly attracting interest from Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers.

With the January transfer window now open for business, defender Grant Hanley is facing an uncertain future at Norwich City.

Hanley joined Norwich from Newcastle United in the summer of 2017, and he has enjoyed a hugely successful seven-and-a-half-year spell at Carrow Road, during which time he has captained the club to promotion to the Premier League on two occasions.

However, Hanley suffered a serious Achilles injury in April 2023 that kept him out for over eight months, and he struggled to regain his place in the team after returning to fitness, making just 10 appearances in all competitions in the second half of last season.

Hanley would have been hoping that the change of management at the club this summer would result in an upturn in fortunes for him, but he has made just one start in the league this season, which was on the opening day in the 2-0 defeat at Oxford United, and he has not featured at all since the start of November.

The 33-year-old was left out of the squad altogether for the 2-1 win over Coventry City on Saturday, suggesting that his Canaries career could soon be coming to an end, and it seems there is plenty of interest in his services.

Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers interested in Grant Hanley

Given his lack of gametime this season, speculation about Hanley's future has been gathering pace in recent weeks, and Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup hinted last month that his exit could be on the cards in January.

"From a selfish perspective, I want to keep him because he's a leader and he's a captain, and he's a very experienced guy; he's training well, and he's good around the young boys," Thorup told the Pink Un.

"But I can understand if he comes to me and says, ‘I want to play first-team football on a regular basis’. And then, of course, we need to sit down and look at the situation. And also, of course, obviously, what kind of offers will he get in January, because I think we have to be as honest to him as possible, and, of course, also to be realistic.

"But from a selfish perspective, I would like him in the group, but I can definitely understand if something comes up that you want to look at it."

It had been claimed that clubs in the MLS and Scotland were monitoring Hanley but it has now emerged that he also has Championship suitors, with journalist Alan Nixon revealing on Monday that Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers are keen on the defender.

United need defensive cover after Leicester City loanee Harry Souttar suffered a season-ending injury, while Hanley's former club Blackburn are also keen to bolster their options at the back as they look to maintain their play-off push.

Norwich City facing big Grant Hanley dilemma this month

Hanley's contract at Carrow Road expires in the summer, and it is highly unlikely that he will be offered an extension, but as interest in the 59-cap Scotland international increases, Norwich will have a tough decision to make this month.

The Canaries have conceded an alarming 37 league goals this season, but despite that, Hanley has still not been given a chance, showing just how far he has fallen out of favour under Thorup, and the likes of Jose Cordoba, Shane Duffy, and Callum Doyle are all firmly ahead of him in the pecking order.

Considering the excellent service Hanley has given to the club over the years, Norwich will want to do right by him, and as Thorup himself said, if the defender is keen to move on in search of regular football this month, sporting director Ben Knapper would likely be open to sanctioning his departure.

However, as Sheffield United and Blackburn are the two Championship clubs believed to be eyeing Hanley, the Canaries may have reservations about strengthening a potential promotion rival, and allowing him to make the switch to Bramall Lane or Ewood Park could come back to bite them.

While United are not competing directly with Norwich at this point, should Chris Wilder's side miss out on automatic promotion and the Carrow Road outfit rally in the second half of the campaign, they could face each other in the play-offs.

With Blackburn currently sitting just three points ahead of the Canaries in the table, they are certainly one of their main rivals for a top-six spot, and even though Hanley is clearly not part of Thorup's plans, it would still be a risky move to sell him to Rovers.

It seems inevitable that Hanley will be heading out the exit door at Norwich in the coming weeks but Knapper will surely be hoping to offload him to the MLS or Scotland, rather than giving him the green light to join a fellow Championship side.

Should Hanley express a desire to move to a second-tier rival, particularly one with a foot in the play-off race, then the Norwich chiefs will face a tough decision as they look to balance doing right by a wonderful club servant and a fear of strengthening their competition.