5 players City need to sign this summer

With the 2015/16 Premier League season now complete and Norwich City’s relegation confirmed, attention now immediately turns to preparing for life in the Championship. As a natural consequence of relegation, it is likely that City will lose a number of players and this, in turn, makes recruitment essential.

So, with that in mind, here are 5 players that I would (realistically) like to see on Alex Neil’s wish-list this summer:

Dwight Gayle

Dieurmerci Mbokani will now return to Ukraine, whilst Kyle Lafferty and Ricky van Wolfswinkel are highly unlikely to still be at the club come August. This leaves us with just Cameron Jerome in the senior striking department and as a result a new striker or two is an absolute must. In an ideal world it will be a young, hungry and pacy one and Dwight Gayle fits this bill perfectly. The 25-year-old made just 8 starts at Palace last term and Pardew’s side look likely to invest in an upgrade, making Gayle even more surplus to requirements. Gayle scored 13 goals in 29 appearances in a relegated Peterborough side in the Championship at the age of just 21 and with, albeit limited, 3 seasons of Premier League experience behind him he would be the perfect man to lead our promotion charge.

Jason Shackell

With the departure of Timm Klose inevitable, another key position to strengthen is in the middle of defence. Jason Shackell is now a seasoned Championship performer and at both Burnley and Derby he has become one of the league’s best defenders. Could City be able to persuade the ex-Norwich youth player back to his roots? At 32-years-old Shackell is not young but he would provide our fragile defence with the experience required to help us become a successful Championship outfit.

Lewis Dunk

Perhaps a more exciting option to fill the centre-back berth would be Brighton’s Lewis Dunk. At 6ft 2, dominant in the air and good with the ball at his feet, Dunk would come as a direct replacement for the departing Klose. Dunk has risen through the youth system at Brighton and at just 24 you would expect that his strongest years are still ahead of him - unlike Shackell. Following their defeat in the play-offs, it is possible that Dunk could be lured away from Albion but it would not be surprising if City are competing with Premier League clubs for his signature.

Alex Pritchard

Alex Pritchard rose to prominence playing for Brentford in the 2014/15 season, when he netted 12 times in 47 appearances from midfield. His performances earned him much acclaim as he featured in the Championship PFA Team of the Year, whilst he also particularly impressed City fans (and hopefully Alex Neil) when he was instrumental in our 2-1 defeat to Brentford in late January 2015. Pritchard could not repeat his heroics in this campaign as he rarely featured during a loan spell at West Brom, and his parent club Tottenham may feel that a return to the Championship is best for his development. He would certainly help bolster our attacking options, and provide strong competition for an ageing Wes Hoolahan.

Zach Clough

Bolton’s 21-year-old forward looks destined to be finding a new club this summer - and Norwich could do a lot worse. In the last week Alex Neil has referred to the ageing nature of our squad and it is highly likely that he’ll be after players such as Clough to give the side some much needed youthful exuberance. Clough is extremely highly-rated and has a quietly impressive scoring record of 12 goals in 34 Championship appearances - not a bad return for a young player in a poor Bolton side. With the likes of James Maddison, Josh Murphy & Jacob Murphy likely to come into the squad next season and the potential for extra additions such as Clough or Pritchard, Norwich City could suddenly have an extremely exciting and talented squad on their hands.

Other potential targets: Nakhi Wells, Ross McCormack, Tom Bradshaw, Anthony Knockaert, Jake Bidwell.