Ante Crnac will prove his class for Norwich City after being thrown in the deep end with a full Championship debut in the 1-1 draw against Sheffield United.
The 20-year-old Croatian sealed a reported initial £8.5m move on Thursday, but Johannes Hoff Thorup had no hesitation in exposing him to the hurly burly of the English second tier against the Blades.
“We were quite clear about the decision to bring him in,” said the Norwich head coach, who confirmed the club are still in the market for attacking reinforcements ahead of Friday’s 11pm transfer deadline. “He had an individual session with us on Thursday, and he had a good session Friday, and he’d been playing a lot so far in the beginning of the season, so he’s more than ready physically.
“He’s a great player, and will be even better for us in the future. It’s just for him to learn the physicality in the league. Learn how it is tactically, and then I think we will rather soon see him perform even better.
“It was important for us just to get him in there, and also for him to have that feeling that now he’s already started, instead of postponing that. We wanted to get him in so he could use the experience and learning from this game to benefit him, and the group, in the future.”
Crnac and Danish teenage attacking midfielder Oscar Schwartau joined in recent days to make it six new summer signings, including Manchester City loanee Callum Doyle.
“It is fair to say that we’re still looking for players, for the offensive third of the pitch. Whether it is a winger or a more central player. Maybe it can be both,” said Thorup. “I think what’s important for us is that it’s a player where we can see some performance now, but also potential for the future.
“We are in the market, but, we don’t do any hectic stuff towards the end, because I think the group is good. They’re working hard, and my feeling around this team is that we will only get better.”
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