Norwich City have called off a move for Rennes striker Bertug Yildirim after issues were found in the player’s medical, according to journalist Nick Mashiter on X.
The Turkish international had been set to join the Canaries before a knee problem was found during tests, leading the Norfolk club to cancel the deal. It’s being reported that Yildirim didn’t necessarily fail the medical, but with a sizeable fee agreed as well as a long-term contract, Norwich didn’t want to take the risk.
New Canaries boss Johannes Hoff Thorup had been looking to Yildirim to boost his side’s attacking options, with the striker position at Carrow Road looking particularly depleted at the moment. Irishman Adam Idah has recently left the club to join Scottish giants Celtic after a long and drawn-out transfer saga which saw the player disciplined by the club during pre-season before a reported £9.5 million fee was agreed.
That move leaves Norwich with only two senior strikers in Josh Sargent and Ashley Barnes. Players such as Abu Kamara may be able to fill in up front, but natural options for the role are currently very limited.
With only a short time left in the transfer window, City will now be scrambling around to bring a striker in as the market gets more volatile. It’s been a difficult start to the season under the club’s new manager, which makes the need for reinforcements all the more pressing. They lost away to newly-promoted Oxford United on the opening day before squeezing past Stevenage in the Carabao Cup, looking less than convincing in either game. With a game against free-scoring Blackburn Rovers up next, Norwich need to get sorted up front to improve their chances of success.
Writer’s View
This news will be a huge disappointment to Norwich fans, who will be hoping their club’s season picks up after an underwhelming start. The club desperately need to get a striker in and Yildirim looked to be the answer, but now they need to look elsewhere. Given their lack of depth, it’s likely that all transfer efforts will now be focused on getting a goalscorer in, especially with the Canaries failing to score against Oxford. The end of the transfer window looks set to be tough for the club, and new boss Hoff Thorup will be hoping for positive progress to help his side.
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