Premier League strugglers Norwich City are reportedly among five teams keen on securing the services of Chelsea utility man Ethan Ampadu in the summer.
According to Teamtalk, Premier League minnows Norwich City are eying a summer move for Chelsea utility man Ethan Ampadu.
The Welsh international came through the ranks at Exeter City before moving to Chelsea in 2016. Despite showing much promise, Ampadu has made a mere 12 appearances for the Blues’ senior side.
Instead, the 21-year-old utility man has mostly spent his time out on loan. Ampadu enjoyed spells at RB Leipzig and Sheffield United in years gone by and is currently out on loan at Italian side Venezia. The Serie A outfit, for their part, are struggling this season and face the danger of being relegated.
Primarily a centre-back, he is also capable of doing a job as a defensive midfielder. Ampadu can also serve several other roles if required and is a versatile player who can be seen as a one-man solution for several positions.
Despite turning out for a struggling Venezia side, Ampadu has stood out and is one of their best performers. This has seen the Chelsea utility man garner attention from several clubs, including Norwich City.
The Canaries are currently bottom of the Premier League and are the favourites to go down. This does not appear to deter them from their transfer plans in the summer. Ampadu certainly features on the list given his showings so far.
Chelsea, for their part, are open to letting the 21-year-old leave in the summer. The Blues’ stance on the matter is rather mystifying, given that they might be left short-handed in the central defensive unit thanks to the potential departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, possibly for a La Liga club.
Ampadu has proven himself to be a dependable player, and, at 21, he will only get better in the years to come. A move to Carrow Road might not be a bad idea as it will grant him regular game-time in a difficult league, at the very least. It could pave the way for bigger and better things in the future should the Chelsea utility man impress.
Norwich failed to replace Olivier Skipp, who spent the 2020/21 season on loan at Carrow Road. The Premier League minnows have seen their midfield and defence crumble at regular intervals this season and will do well to address it in the summer.
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In Ampadu, Norwich will have a player who is not just capable of doing that but also developing into a major asset for the club in the long term. But the Chelsea loanee is also a target for several other clubs, primarily from the EFL Championship. Whether a deal can be reached or not at the end of the campaign remains to be seen.
