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Norwich City signing this 29-year-old star in January could really get them a PL birth for next season

Why Norwich City should revisit their interest in Jordan Rhodes in January

According to Football League World (h/t The Yorkshire Evening Post), Norwich City were on the verge of completing a permanent deal for Sheffield Wednesday striker Jordan Rhodes during the summer transfer window. 

Daniel Farke was keen to get a deal over the line but the Owls opted against selling him permanently and eventually pulled the plug (h/t Yorkshire Evening Post).

However, new manager Garry Monk’s team selection has been in complete contrast to Sheffield Wednesday’s decision to hold on to Jordan Rhodes, with the Scotsman only playing three cameos off the bench.

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Rhodes played several important cameos off the bench for the Canaries in the Championship last season (Getty Images)

Rhodes established himself as a prolific goalscorer for Huddersfield Town in the League One earlier in his career before going enjoying an incredible spell at Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, bagging a staggering 85 goals in 169 appearances across all competitions. 

However, the 29-year-old’s career has been on a complete freefall ever since he left Ewood Park to join Middlesbrough in 2016 and an ill-fated spell at the Riverside Stadium was followed by a loan spell at Hillsborough that was eventually made permanent in the summer of 2017. 

Rhodes slipped down the pecking order once again, following his lacklustre tally of 5 goals in 31 league appearances during the 2017-18 campaign. Shortly after, a loan spell at Carrow Road somewhat breathed life back into his faltering career.

While Teemu Pukki stole most of the limelight with his 29-goal season in the Championship, Rhodes chipped in with several important cameos off the bench and claimed 6 goals to guide the Canaries to Premier League promotion. 

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The 29-year-old was a prolific goalscorer back in his days at Ewood Park (Getty Images)

To put things into perspective, Norwich City need some help to preserve their Premier League status after an injury-hit start to the campaign and going back in the market for Jordan Rhodes in January would be smart.

Having registered only 2 victories from their first 11 league fixtures, Norwich are currently languishing in the relegation zone.

The Canaries have scored just 11 while conceding 26 in the process, and if those numbers are anything to go by, Farke needs to bring in significant reinforcements in January.

With the injuries to centre-backs Christoph Zimmermann, Timm Klose and Grant Hanley epitomizing the need for immediate defensive recruits, the Canaries should also focus on bringing in an experienced striker to take the pressure off Teemu Pukki’s shoulders. 

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Josip Drmic and Dennis Srbeny have offered next to nothing but Rhodes is capable of adding another dimension to their attack.

Verdict

Although Rhodes doesn’t have much Premier League experience in his CV, the 29-year-old is still worth a punt for Norwich City in January. After all, he has a good knowledge of the existing squad after spending a full season on loan at Carrow Road last time around. 

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To sum it up, the 29-year-old would be a smart acquisition during the mid-season trading period.