Norwich City Opinion: Canaries should beat Aston Villa in the race to sign Daniel Opare
According to The Sun, newly-promoted clubs, Aston Villa and Norwich City are set to go head to head in a transfer tug of war over Ghanaian right-back Daniel Opare in the summer window.
The Sun understands that Opare, who currently plies his trade in the Belgian top-flight with Royal Antwerp, has attracted interest from the promoted duo, with reports claiming that the 28-year-old could be available for a bargain £500,000 this summer.
The same report claims that Opare has only 12 months left on his current contract at Antwerp, meaning that the Belgian outfit face the risk of losing him for free in a year’s time. The Ghanaian is likely to be a man in demand this summer given his imminent availability for a bargain price.
Opare began his career in his homeland Ghana with Ashanti Gold before moving across the continent to join Tunisian giants Sfax. Regarded as a promising youngster with plenty of potential in his earlier days, the Ghanaian was snapped up by Real Madrid, although he featured for the B team only.
Having failed to make the grade at Madrid, Opare enjoyed a nomadic career in European football, playing for the likes of Standard Liege in Belgium, Porto in the Primeira Liga, Augsburg in the Bundesliga, as well as Fenerbahce in Turkey before returning to Belgium with Antwerp last summer. The 27-year-old made 24 appearances in all competitions this past season and helped Antwerp to a 4th-place finish in the Belgian league.
Opare, who has 19 international caps for Ghana and represented his nation at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, is noted for his incredible top-speed and precise crossing as a full-back. Strong on the tackle and quick across the ground, the Ghanaian is a tireless worker down the flanks and has the ability to shoulder both attacking and defensive responsibilities effectively.
To put things into perspective, Daniel Opare might not have realised his full potential but he still has a good enough profile given his experience of playing top-flight football in different nations across Europe. The Ghanaian also boasts of considerable Europa League exposure and it should be a no-brainer for both the newly-promoted Premier League clubs to snap him up for a bargain price this summer.
While Villa should consider him as a replacement for Alan Hutton and an upgrade on Ahmed Elmohamady, Opare would also add much-needed depth in a crucial area of the pitch for Norwich City. However, the Canaries would bag a massive coup if they manage to win the race and have the final say over their PL rivals in this transfer saga.
Norwich secured promotion to the Premier League as the winners of the Championship but Daniel Farke’s side didn’t have the best of defensive records in the division, having conceded 57 goals in 46 outings in the second-tier.
19-year-old Max Aarons did an impressive job at right-back in the Championship this past season but the departures of Ivo Pinto and Borussia Dortmund loanee Felix Passlack should prompt the Canaries to invest in a new right-back to provide cover and competition for the teenager.
Although Opare has no prior experience of playing in England, he is an experienced customer and one would expect him to fit in seamlessly at Norwich in the Premier League.
To Read More Norwich City News, Click Here:- Latest Norwich City News
Even if Opare fails to get to grips with the level of competition in the Premier League, spending a meagre £500,000 would hardly come back to haunt the Canaries later in the season. The Ghanaian’s imminent availability for a bargain price makes him a risk-free signing and there is no reason why Norwich shouldn’t go ahead with this deal.
