Alex Pritchard: Not a necessity but an impressive signing all the same

Norwich City have confirmed their third summer signing in the form of attacking midfielder Alex Pritchard, who joins from Tottenham on a four-year-deal. It initially looked like the 23-year-old was headed for Championship rivals Brighton, only for an apparent late offer from Norwich swaying Pritchard in the direction of Norfolk. Whilst most City supporters believe that Pritchard is a very good player and as a result a welcome addition to the side, there is some concern that, as a midfielder, he comes as more of a luxury rather than a necessity.

If there is one position that Alex Neil needed to strengthen the least then it is arguably Pritchard’s favoured role: attacking midfield. In the likes of Wes Hoolahan, Steven Naismith, James Maddison and Jonny Howson we have numerous options who can capably play that role and this has caused some among the City fanbase to think that Pritchard isn’t really needed. When it is the opening day of the season and we only have two senior strikers on our books, one of whom is the outcasted Kyle Lafferty, it is understandable that some supporters may be concerned that we are continuing to stockpile our midfield whilst failing to address bigger issues.

This being said, however, I am very happy with Pritchard. Yes, admittedly our midfield is perhaps now over-stocked, but bringing in a player of his quality can not do us any harm. He illustrated his credentials at Championship level two seasons ago when he scored 12 and assisted 7 during a loan spell at Brentford, a performance that earned himself a place in the 2014/15 Championship PFA Team of the Year. If he can match such levels in the coming season then, regardless of our wealth of midfielders, he will most likely oust all competition and be absolutely pivotal to any success we have.

The arrival of Pritchard also makes far more sense when discussed in the context of the future of Robbie Brady. Whilst Brady continues to remain at the club - buyers potentially being put off by City’s reported £20m price-tag - the majority of Norwich supporters would still be very shocked if he is still a Canary in a month’s time. If he does leave then we will be left with a vacancy on the left-side of midfield - a vacancy that Pritchard, who can play almost anywhere across the forward areas, is more than capable of filling. Obviously, we would all like to think that Pritchard has not arrived as a Brady replacement but if the Irishman does depart then at least we can be safe in the knowledge that we have a ready-made replacement.

At the very least, the transfer also shows that there is money to spend and we are, perhaps more importantly, willing to spend it. The failure to get the McCormack deal over the line, losing him to one of our key rivals in Aston Villa, was a bitter pill to swallow for City supporters and it left many of us thinking that, yet again, our board were not showing sufficient ambition. By spending £8 million on Pritchard, however, the club has finally shown a signal of intent that us supporters have been longing to see. Let’s just hope that there a few more similar signals to come - preferably, this time, in the form of a striker.