Norwich City are on the outskirts of the play-off battle in the Championship following the arrival of Philippe Clement, which may have came too late to crack the top-six but has offered sweeping confidence heading into the following campaign.
The Canaries were struggling under Liam Manning and were at risk of falling into League One prior to a change in the dugout.
The Norfolk outfit are 10 points adrift of the top six with just four games to go, meaning a top six finish is now unlikely, but the club have still climbed the table to remain in contention.
This has been Clement’s first foray into English football after previously spending time in Scotland with Rangers.
His goal will be to guide Norwich back to the Premier League, where they haven’t competed since 2022 amid a succession of mid-table finishes.
This summer will be his first chance to make a real stamp on the first team squad, and plans will already be underway for what additions could be made to boost their chances of fighting for promotion next season.
Philippe Clement outlines Norwich’s summer plans
Clement has made it clear that Norwich intend to act with ambition in the upcoming summer transfer window, as the head coach begins to formulate plans alongside sporting director Ben Knapper.
He believes that a lot of progress has been made at Carrow Road, but that it will be about finding the small details that help them bridge the gap to the top six for next season.
“I know also that the club is ambitious to get the right recruitment to help the team towards next season for higher ambitions than what the team did until now,” said Clement, via Pink Un.
“We’re on the right path, because we’re competing with all of the teams fighting for promotion.
“But it’s about small margins with this young team to make them better.
“And we are not there yet.
“I told you the last couple of weeks also, after good performances, I want more.
“There’s more potential out of this group, but it’s a lot of young lads who still need to learn certain things, and they’re hungry and they’re ambitious, and we will do that the next couple of weeks and months.
“So that’s a working point for us for the next couple of weeks, and also towards next season, to raise the levels with the players available in the building, and also with new players who can add quality there.”
Knapper came under significant pressure prior to the appointment of Clement, with Manning’s disastrous stint in charge leading to calls that a change behind the scenes was needed.
However, the team’s strong form under the new head coach has eased the scrutiny on the sporting director.
Knapper joined Norwich in place of Stuart Webber in October 2023, and he has been heavily involved in both the recruitment and the managerial appointment processes since then.
Norwich are now ninth in the Championship table, 10 points adrift of the play-off places with just 12 left to earn.
The Canaries lost 2-0 at home to bitter rivals Ipswich Town last weekend, which effectively put an end to their hopes of a top six finish this season.
Clement’s side had lost just one of their previous eight league fixtures, which had put them in contention for promotion despite being in the relegation battle in the first half of the campaign.
Next up for Norwich is a trip to face Bristol City on 18 April in a 3pm kick-off.
An important summer ahead for Norwich
Norwich have shown their credentials for competing for a play-off place next season with their recent form, but that can disappear again quickly with a bad summer window.
The pressure has eased on Knapper but another window of underwhelming recruitment, followed by a poor run to start the campaign, and that pressure will mount again.
Clement has made a promising start to life at Carrow Road, and the upcoming market will be his first real chance to make his mark on the team.
If the club want to get back into the Premier League any time soon, then they will have to show the kind of ambition being discussed by Clement given the stiff competition in the division at the moment.
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