Why Ondrej Duda would be a smart signing for Norwich City
According to the Telegraph, Norwich City have agreed on a deal to sign midfielder Ondrej Duda from Hertha Berlin. The 25-year-old has flown over from Germany to complete a six-month loan deal to be part of Daniel Farke’s side.
Ondrej Duda has been at Hertha Berlin since arriving three-and-a-half years ago from Legia Warsaw in Poland.
He has made seven Bundesliga appearances this season, assisting once. However, the Slovakian international has lost his place at Hertha since Jurgen Klinsmann’s appointment.
Duda’s potential addition would boost Norwich City’s options in the midfield. The Canaries have been hit with injuries since the start of the season, disrupting the rhythm and understanding between players needed in every area of the pitch.
They find themselves rock bottom of the table and unless Daniel Farke makes additions this month, achieving top-flight survival looks bleak.
Norwich are in desperate need of quality in the final third, with the likes of Marco Stiepermann, Onel Hernandez and Emi Buendia blowing hot and cold. Teemu Pukki and Todd Cantwell have been the rare bright sparks for Farke’s side, but they have had little support upfront.
With Josip Drmic only just back in training after his own hamstring issue, and Dennis Srbeny sealing a move to Germany, Farke would richly benefit with the acquisition of Duda.
Duda may have not scored for Hertha this season but he had a fantastic 2018/19 Bundesliga campaign where he racked up 11 goals and six assists in 32 games. He formed a lethal attacking partnership with Saloman Kalou, helping Hertha finish 11th last season under Pal Dardai.
The Slovakian international is excellent on the ball and can make some neat runs with the ball at his feet. He has excelled at interchanging plays with others around him at Hertha and is not shy of expressing himself in the offensive end of the pitch. He puts his body to excellent use, often seen brushing defenders’ challenges off with ease.
Duda’s creativity and flair in the final third, coupled with his set-piece expertise, should boost Norwich’s creative department. With players like Cantwell, Pukki, Hernandez and Buendia around him, Duda could thrive at Carrow Road.
An excellent distributor of the ball and someone who can unlock a stubborn defence with a killer pass in the attacking third of the pitch, the Slovak would be a straight upgrade on Stiepermann.
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In the video below, one can get a glimpse of how Duda tore apart Bundesliga defences with his creativity and finishing skills last season.
Verdict
Duda will not only add a lot of goals and assists to the Norwich starting XI but will also improve the overall quality of their squad. Thus, signing him on a six-month loan deal is a step taken in the right direction from Farke.