Norwich City must be surprised at Nottingham Forest treatment after £11m deal: View | OneFootball

Norwich City will still have hopes that this 2023/24 Championship season can be successful for them.

The Canaries had a very disappointing 2022/23 campaign, so pressure was on David Wagner to get his side to perform this season.

Therefore, the German was keen to be active in the summer, bringing in several new faces as he changed his squad.

However, while there were arrivals, there were also a few departures for the Canaries, with the most high-profile sale being defender Andrew Omobamidele.

The centre-back came through the club’s academy, so it would have been a sad day to see him leave right at the end of the window.

There was a lot of speculation around Norwich defender Andrew Omobamidele at the time, as the Republic of Ireland international was gaining admirers for his performances for club and country.

But it was not until the very end of the summer transfer window that a move occurred for the 21-year-old.

AC Milan were noticeable admirers of the player, but it was Nottingham Forest that won his signature, signing the defender for £11 million, with the deal potentially rising to £20 million.

Omobamidele first broke into the first team during the 2020/21 Championship season, and from then on he continued to play and perform for Norwich as they battled in the second tier and Premier League.

So, when it was announced he would be leaving Carrow Road, most Norwich fans would have expected the centre-back to be flying in the top flight; however, that hasn’t been the case as the move to Forest hasn’t been very successful so far.

As mentioned, Andrew Omobamidele was hot property this summer, so when it was all done that he would be joining Nottingham Forest, it was expected that it would be the first step in him becoming an impressive defender in the top flight.

However, while that may still occur, the move to the City Ground for Omobamidele hasn’t worked out as planned.

The Republic of Ireland international has been limited to just 11 appearances for Nottingham Forest so far, eight of which have come in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old didn’t make his debut for the club until the 17th of January, where he played in the FA Cup third round replay against Blackpool.

He then appeared in the next three league games, playing a full 90 minutes in each, and also featured in the fourth-round FA Cup tie against Bristol City.

Omobamidele has played more for Forest in recent weeks, as the centre-back played a full 90 minutes in the club’s 3-1 win over Fulham on Tuesday night.

But even if he is starting to find his place in the side now, it will come as a surprise to Norwich and their supporters to see the defender struggling for game time as much as he has this season.

Last season, Omobamidele played 34 times for the Canaries in the Championship, averaging 76 minutes per game and grabbing a single goal in the process.

The 21-year-old was a key figure in the club’s defence, as he helped the club to six clean sheets during his time on the pitch.

Furthermore, Omobamidele averaged 1.2 tackles per game as well as 0.8 interceptions, and he made an impressive 2.7 clearances per game. His defensive attributes were clear to see, as he was only dribbled past 0.5 times, as per Sofascore.com.

So, Forest will have been impressed with the defender, and that is why they paid the money they did, but for whatever reason, the move hasn’t gone according to plan as of yet.

There is still plenty of time, and Omobamidele is someone who is a signing for the now and the future, so Forest will still believe in the player. It will just surprise Norwich to see him stuck on the sidelines as much as he has been.