Norwich City are closing in on a deal for Rakow Częstochowa’s Croatian striker Ante Crnac, as reported by the Pink Un.
The Canaries have cash to spend following the sale of Adam Idah to Celtic, and the 20-year-old is high on their list of targets. With four summer signings already through the door, the report states that ‘hope is growing’; the Croatian Under 21 international could be the fifth.
It’s also reported he will be around ‘the same numbers’ as Idah, who cost Celtic £8.5 million, putting him around joint-fourth in the club’s record signings chart, alongside Ricky van Wolfwinkel and Steven Naismith.
Crnac has represented his country from Under 14 level right through to Under 21 and came through the youth ranks at Dinamo Zagreb, a club he joined aged ten. He appeared 18 times for their B team, scoring twice, before moving to top-flight side Slaven Belupo in January 2022.
After three seasons, where he scored 11 times in 56 outings for The Pharmacists, he was snapped up by Polish champions Raków Częstochowa on a five-year deal. He’s been there for just under a year, netting eight times in 35 outings and playing six times in the Champions League.
However, it was a disappointing campaign for The Medallions, who finished seventh in the Ekstraklasa, and they’re now happy to offload the striker for a hefty sum and reinvest, looking to repeat their glory of a year ago.
The move comes amid a failed swoop by the Canaries for Rennes striker Bertug Yildirim. The Turkish international had been set to move to Carrow Road, but an issue with his knee was revealed in the medical, and the club opted not to pursue the transfer.
Writer’s View
This is a big transfer for Norwich, and a big risk. £8.5 million is a lot of money to be spending, but that’s likely to be the fee if the report is to be believed. Ricky van Wolfswinkel, a player who signed for a similar fee, scored once in 25 Premier League outings before moving to Vitesse, highlighting how risky paying big money for a continental striker can be.
That said, the failed swoop for Yildirim reveals how diligent Norwich are around their current business. The striker didn’t fail the medical as such, but the transfer was cancelled on the outcome of the medical, proving they’re not wishing to take risks. Johannes Hoff Thorup is keen on returning the Norfolk outfit to the top flight, and wouldn’t be willing to take a punt with £8.5 million of the club’s money if he, and indeed they, were not sure that there was value there.
The youngster will be hoping to impress a little more than Norwich’s first Croatian import. In 1980, Dražen Mužinić signed for the club, a Yugoslav born in Split, in modern-day Croatia. He played 30 times across two seasons but struggled for form. It led then-striker Justin Fashunu to quip, “I don’t think we got Mužinić; I reckon they sent his milkman.”
Be the first to comment