Norwich City: Liverpool call highlights where Ben Knapper must improve transfer business | OneFootball

Norwich City will be hoping their future loan market swoops will work to greater effect than Kaide Gordon.

Norwich City's use of the loan market in recent seasons has left much to be desired for fans and it's an area of transfer business that sporting director Ben Knapper must improve.

With Kaide Gordon recalled back to Liverpool, with his spell at Carrow Road not playing out as either he or his parent club wanted.

It's debatable how much that was his fault, he only played 177 minutes in yellow and green and scored just once, but he's the most recent in a long line of loan players that haven't been able to make their mark at Norwich, perhaps since Ollie Skipp in the 2020/21 season.

Kaide Gordon was a panic loan

The 21-year-old was already at a disadvantage when he joined on loan in the summer. Wingers Jon Rowe and Abu Kamara's transfer theatrics put the club in a precarious position and Gordon was scouted as a quick and easy replacement.

Meshing with the team whilst the season is already underway is no small feat for a young player. Despite attracting outside interest Rowe was certainly favored as Johannes Hoff Thorup's number one right-winger in his side during pre-season, and it made Gordon's insertion into the team all the more challenging from both the player's and coach's perspectives.

Yet the head coach was a fan of Gordon, saying: "If he was a player here on a long contract, then I’d have loved to work with him".

His goal against Hull City showed he could be in the right place at the right time, whilst his celebration displayed a passion that every fan wants to see in their players.

But he was never really given a proper chance to prove himself in his short time, and, of course, long-term projects like Ante Crnac take precedent over Premier League loans.

Norwich signing winger Matej Jurasek would eventually make the Liverpool youngster's position at the club untenable.

Upon his recall, he'd say he "loved" his time at Norwich, and will no doubt have earned some goodwill in Norfolk despite his short time on the pitch.

His loanee counterpart Callum Doyle has found himself on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of effectiveness, making himself a mainstay in Thorup's side and putting up 2,332 minutes for the Canaries.

However, it's telling that head of recruitment Lee Dunn had scouted the Manchester City defender months before the club claimed his signature; his loan is far more of a targeted move than a means to an end.

Loan players have rarely worked for Norwich in recent seasons

Last season's acquisition of Sydney van Hooijdonk was a poor move for all parties. He was a filler of space for the outgoing Adam Idah, and could barely get a game under David Wagner, only making 12 appearances at just over an average ten minutes per game.

Aston Villa loanee Aaron Ramsey showed promise at Carrow Road in the 22/23 season. He'd score three and set up three under his former boss Dean Smith, but when one ex-Villa man was sacked, the other quickly followed him out. He's perhaps best remembered at Carrow Road for devilishly celebrating a goal in front of the away Norwich fans whilst at Middlesbrough just months after his loan was cut short.

Isaac Hayden also joined that summer, but a loan hampered by injuries rendered him to just 14 appearances. In January of the same season, Arsenal's Marquinhos burst into Carrow Road with a debut goal and assist. After that, he would quickly deteriorate, making minimal impact during his loan spell.

As with all loans in the Championship, it's rare to see the very best of a player when they're brought in to gain experience and tie up loose ends. New Norwich loanee Lewis Dobbin hasn't had a successful spell at West Brom this season, and it remains to be seen how he'll fare with the Canaries.

Knapper has now had time to stamp his mark on Carrow Road and he has had some success in the loan market, as Doyle's importance shows, but it's an area that he will want to improve this month and in future windows.

Gordon was well thought of by management and his fellow players alike but was generally unable to reflect that on the pitch.

What comes next is entirely in the hands of Knapper but he'll want to avoid the mistakes of the past if he wants Norwich to compete for promotion in the seasons to come – with Premier League loans likely to remain a key part of the transfer strategy.