Norwich City Secure Season-Long Loan Move For 20-Year-Old Defender

Callum Doyle will undergo a medical at Norwich City on Monday ahead of completing a season-long loan move.

The England youth international has been targeted by City all summer, and the Canaries’ patience is set to pay off, with Doyle due in Norfolk to put the finishing touches on a temporary move to Carrow Road.

He is set to become their third summer signing following Panama international Jose Cordoba and Aston Villa left-back Ben Chrisene in the door.

Norwich have been forced to show patience on signing Doyle, even though a loan move has been agreed in principle for several weeks, as the Premier League champions opted to include him in their pre-season tour of the USA.

Doyle was among a clutch of young players picked by Pep Guardiola to travel Stateside to cover for those players away on holiday after being involved in the European Championships over the summer.

That concluded with a 4-2 victory over Chelsea in Ohio on Saturday night, with Doyle coming off the bench for the final four minutes of the contest.

With the season edging closer to a start, Man City expects more of them to return ahead of Saturday’s Community Shield against Manchester United. This means they have the numbers to officially sanction Doyle’s move to Norwich.

Johannes Hoff Thorup confirmed after Saturday’s final pre-season friendly that they would sign a left-sided defender before the Championship opener against Oxford United on Saturday, and Doyle’s arrival will fulfil that promise.

He spent last season on loan at Championship title winners Leicester City, operating in a similar inverted left-back role to the one Thorup is keen to deploy at Carrow Road next season. The youngster has been their top target for that position.

The Man City man has already visited Colney earlier in the summer and held talks with Thorup about his role in the side. Norwich have beaten the substantial Championship competition for his services.

Doyle has already made over 50 appearances in the second tier, having also spent time at Sunderland and Coventry, but Norwich have been selected by Man City owing to Thorup’s style of play and an exposure to regular first-team football.