Why Victor Camarasa to Norwich City would be an excellent move

According to claims from reliable journalist, Colin Millar, on Twitter, Norwich City are among a host of clubs chasing Spanish midfielder Victor Camarasa, who is currently on loan at Crystal Palace from Real Betis. 

The report adds that the 25-year-old wants to cut short his loan agreement at Selhurst Park after making only a solitary appearance and playing just 5 minutes of football in the Premier League so far. 

Camarasa, who reached great heights at Cardiff City during the Bluebirds relegation campaign in the top-flight last season, has been linked with a loan move back to South Wales in January, but Norwich City have entered the race to scupper plans of a reunion. (h/t Colin Millar Twitter)

The former Spanish U-21 international, who accumulated 5 goals and 4 assists in 32 Premier League outings for the Bluebirds last season, was one of the few players to come away with some genuine credit and a loan move to Crystal Palace in the summer was expected to work out well for Camarasa. 

With that in mind, however, the 25-year-old’s loan spell in South London has turned into a massive disappointment, with Roy Hodgson more willing to put his trust in the likes of Luka Milivojevic, James McArthur and Cheikhou Kouyate, thus leaving Camarasa to simply gather dust on the sidelines. 

Now, as per the report, the likes of Cardiff City, Norwich City and Celta Vigo have all made enquiries about the availability of Camarasa on loan for the remainder of the campaign and Real Betis are well aware of his unsettled situation at Palace. 

Meanwhile, Norwich City are yet to set the ball rolling in the January transfer window after spending next to nothing in the summer following their promotion to the top-flight. 

Daniel Farke’s side currently languish rock-bottom of the standings, seven points adrift of safety, after accumulating only 3 wins in 21 games so far, and the Canaries would surely have learnt by now that competing in the Premier League without any financial backing is extremely difficult.

Norwich were always going to have their work cut out in coping with the demands of playing in the Premier League after a lacklustre summer window and injuries to several key players during the first half of the campaign only made it harder for Farke to field his best eleven. 

Indeed, most of the injured players have returned from their spell on the sidelines but with the threat of relegation looming larger than ever, it is a no-brainer that Norwich are in dire need of some significant reinforcements in January to enhances their chances of survival.

To that end, a lacklustre goal tally of just 22 goals scored in 21 games is something that Farke will surely need to improve on in the second half of the campaign. The fact that Teemu Pukki (9) and Todd Cantwell (6) have contributed to almost 70 percent of the club’s overall tally of goals clearly indicates that the others, especially the ones playing in the middle of the park, just haven’t done enough. 

While a reliable back-up to Teemu Pukki in front of goal continues to be a top priority for the Canaries in January, it would be completely understandable if Farke also opts to bolster his midfield cavalry with a goalscoring central midfielder. 

Verdict

Goal contributions from the midfielders often make the difference, particularly for the teams battling relegation, and Norwich have clearly lagged behind their rivals in that regard. The likes of Tom Trybull, Marco Stiepermann, Moritz Leitner and Ibrahim Amadou are yet to score while Mario Vrancic and Kenny McLean have only scored one apiece. 

To put things into perspective, Norwich need their midfield cavalry to step up in their quest for survival and a loan deal for Victor Camarasa would certainly be a step in the right direction. 

The Spaniard showed his proficiency in scoring and creating goals while playing in No.8 and No.10 roles at Cardiff City during the previous campaign, and his arrival at Carrow Road could add that much-needed spice and X-Factor to a Norwich City midfield that has often looked bereft of quality.

Add to that his prowess from set-pieces and dead-ball situations and it is easy to see why Camarasa could be a massive upgrade on someone like Stiepermann, who has been virtually non-existent in the No.10 role in Farke’s 4-2-3-1 system this season.

As per whoscored, Camarasa averaged 1.6 key passes, 1.3 crosses, 1.4 long balls and 1.1 dribbles per game in the Premier League last season, figures which lie testament to his well-rounded qualities as a creative central midfielder. 

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Having said that, Norwich City completing a loan deal for Victor Camarasa before the January deadline could be a massive boost to their underwhelming midfield unit.