Why Norwich City should eye cut-price Emiliano Marcondes swoop
According to the Daily Mail (h/t The Pink’Un), Norwich City are among a host of Championship clubs keeping a close eye on the contract situation of Brentford midfielder Emiliano Marcondes.
The former Danish U-21 international’s contract at Griffin Park is due to expire at the end of the season, with Championship rivals Nottingham Forest and Queens Park Rangers also showing an interest in the playmaker.
Profile
Emiliano Marcondes started his professional career with Nordsjaelland in his native Denmark during his 2012-13 season before establishing himself as a regular starter in 2014-15.
The versatile attacking midfielder bagged 12 goals in 25 league appearances during the 2016-17 season and followed it up with an astonishing tally of 17 from 19 league outings in the following campaign, earning the 2017 Danish Superliga Player of the Year in the process.
Having racked up an impressive 38 goals in 120 appearances for Nordsjaelland, Marcondes moved abroad to join Brentford in the Championship back in the summer of 2017. The 25-year-old returned to Denmark on loan with Midtjylland for the first half of the 2019-20 campaign after failing to score in his first 25 league games for the Bees.
Marcondes returned to Griffin Park in January 2020 and went on to play a key role as Thomas Frank’s side reached the playoff finals. The attacker featured in a number of midfield roles, amassing 3 goals and 7 assists in 28 appearances for Brentford in the Championship last term.
He has continued to play a substantial role this season as well, scoring once and registering 2 assists in 19 appearances across all competitions so far.
Marcondes would be a feasible option for the Canaries
Norwich currently aren’t short of options in the middle of the park or in the No.10 attacking midfield role. However, with Mario Vrancic and Alex Tettey both out of contract at the end of the season, the Canaries might as well line up some alternatives with one eye on the future.
Furthermore, the long-term futures of Emi Buendia and Todd Cantwell at Carrow Road continue to be up in the air. Buendia has been linked with moves to Premier League clubs Arsenal and Leeds United after excelling in Norwich’s relegation campaign last time around. Cantwell has also attracted significant interest from the top-flight after showing his potential in PL last term.
With that in mind, Norwich might be forced to cash in on their prized assets at the end of the season should they fail to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
The Canaries pursuing an interest in Emiliano Marcondes, to that end, would be a smart idea. The Dane’s unresolved contract situation at Brentford presents an excellent market opportunity for Daniel Farke’s side to capitalise.
The 25-year-old has shown signs of settling down in the EFL Championship over the past 12 months after a slow start to life in English football. Marcondes has found success in a wide variety of positions at Brentford, ranging from central midfield, No.10 to a wide attacking role on the left-hand side of the pitch.
That clearly underlines his versatility as an attacking midfielder while Marcondes has also shown significant improvement in terms of end product.
Read more
- Why Norwich City should keep hold of Teemu Pukki amidst interest
- Why Norwich City made the right decision by signing Przemyslaw Placheta
Verdict
Emiliano Marcondes might not be a very lucrative option for Norwich City next summer if they manage to secure promotion to the Premier League. But with more than 70 appearances under his belt in the second-tier, the Dane would surely offer a lot if the Canaries once again compete in the Championship next term.
The versatile star still potentially has his best years ahead of him at 25 and Norwich landing him for free would surely be a smart coup.
