Norwich City Opinion: Canaries should beat Watford to sign Sergi Enrich
According to reports from Spanish source AS, as cited by Eastern Daily Press, Watford and Norwich City are interested in signing Eibar striker Sergi Enrich in the summer.
The 29-year-old former Spanish U19 international is out of contract at Eibar this summer and his contract situation had led to him attracting interest from several mid-table La Liga sides, including Real Sociedad, Leganes and Levante, as reported by the Eastern Daily Press.
The same source understands that Eibar are also keen to retain the services of the 29-year-old centre-forward, who has contributed with 7 goals and 3 assists from 33 La Liga appearances this season.
Eibar achieved promotion to the Spanish top-flight for the first time in their history in 2013-14 and Enrich joined the club in the La Liga in 2015. Since then, he has been one of the driving forces behind Eibar’s rise from a relegation-threatened outfit to a solid mid-table side in the La Liga.
To be honest, Eibar has overachieved in their last few seasons in the top flight and Sergi Enrich has been at the centre of it all.
The 29-year-old, though not prolific by any means, has carved out a reputation for himself as one of the most useful centre-forwards amongst the mid-table sides in the La Liga. Enrich has amassed 34 goals and 21 assists from 135 appearances for Eibar in all competitions and he is likely to be a man in demand this summer.
To put things into perspective, Enrich would be a good signing for both the aforementioned clubs in the Premier League. While newly-promoted Norwich can look at him as a back-up for prolific frontman Teemu Pukki, the Spaniard is certainly good enough to challenge the likes of Troy Deeney and Andre Gray for a spot in the first-team at Vicarage Road.
The Canaries, however, can bag a massive coup and do themselves a world of good by getting their hands on the 29-year-old this summer.
Enrich is more of an old-school centre-forward, who relies largely on his instincts and awareness to get himself amongst the goals.
Known for his good hold-up play, the Spaniard uses his frame to shield the ball with his back to goal, often using short exchanges, clever flick-ons and lay-offs to link up with his teammates in and around the penalty area. In other words, he works really hard and gets others involved in the build-up play.
The Spaniard, though not exceptionally tall for a centre-forward, excels with his aerial ability and has proven himself to be a genuine threat from crosses and set-pieces.
To add to that, he is capable of causing plenty of problems to the opposition with his subtle movement inside the penalty area, while also being a clinical finisher in front of the goal.
Norwich have relied heavily on Finland international Teemu Pukki in the Championship this season to deliver the goods in front of goal, while Jordan Rhodes has only played a bit-part role in the first-team.
The likes of Onel Hernandez, Marco Stiepermann and Emiliano Buendia have all contributed greatly to their promotion-winning campaign but they still need someone who can take the pressure off Pukki’s shoulders.
Enrich is an experienced striker, who is good with his hold-up play and chance creation, which should prompt the Canaries to look at him as someone who can operate as the focal point of their attack.
Pukki is, undoubtedly, going to their first-choice No.9 but relying on a single player to deliver the goods in the Premier League week-in-week-out might as well backfire.
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Norwich need to build a strong enough squad to beat the drop in the Premier League and secure a respectable finish. Sergi Enrich has proven his worth as a quality striker at a mid-table club like Eibar and he is exactly the kind of player that Norwich should be looking at.
Given that he would be available for free, the Canaries might have a gem in their hands next season if they manage to beat off competition for him.
