Norwich City can afford to laugh after Celtic finalizes an £11m transfer.

Norwich City’s transfer activity may not have generated as many headlines as some supporters hoped this summer, but events elsewhere could leave the Canaries feeling they made the right decision during the January transfer window. While Celtic have now completed an £11 million move for Danish striker Kasper Høgh, Norwich’s decision to pursue alternative attacking options appears increasingly justified.

With Mohamed Toure and Jovon Makama already proving their quality, Norwich can look back on their recruitment strategy with plenty of satisfaction as preparations continue for another Championship campaign under Philippe Clement.

A Steady Summer at Carrow Road

Norwich have not been among the busiest clubs in the Championship during the current transfer window.

Although supporters may have expected a larger number of arrivals and departures, there has still been notable movement within the squad as Clement continues shaping the team in his own image.

Several experienced players have departed Carrow Road following the expiration of their contracts.

Shane Duffy, Emiliano Marcondes, and Jeffrey Schlupp all left the club after their respective deals came to an end.

Goalkeeper George Long also completed a permanent transfer to Southampton after spending time on loan with the Saints last season.

At the same time, Norwich have strengthened key areas with several carefully selected additions.

Brazilian defender Bruno Alves arrived on loan from Cruzeiro, while midfielder Sam Field joined from Queens Park Rangers in a deal potentially worth £2.8 million.

The biggest investment came in attack, where winger Andre Brooks completed an £8 million move from Sheffield United.

Although the overall level of activity has been relatively modest, Norwich appear focused on improving quality rather than quantity.

Clement Continues to Shape His Squad

Since replacing Liam Manning as Norwich manager in November 2025, Philippe Clement has steadily begun implementing his own vision.

The Belgian coach inherited a squad requiring improvement in several positions and quickly turned to the January transfer window to strengthen important areas.

During that period, Norwich completed deals for Sam Field, Ali Ahmed, and Australian international Mohamed Toure.

Toure joined from Danish side Randers in a deal initially valued at approximately £2.6 million.

His arrival followed the departure of leading striker Josh Sargent, who left Carrow Road after completing a transfer worth more than £20 million to Toronto.

Replacing Sargent represented one of the club’s biggest priorities, and Clement explored several potential options before finalising Toure’s signing.

Kasper Høgh Was the Original Target

Before settling on Toure, Norwich had identified Danish striker Kasper Høgh as their preferred replacement for Sargent.

At the time, Høgh was enjoying an outstanding spell with Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt.

His goalscoring exploits had attracted attention from clubs across Europe as he continued producing consistently impressive performances in both domestic and continental competitions.

Høgh’s reputation grew even further after finding the net against elite European opponents including Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan during Bodø/Glimt’s Champions League campaign.

Despite Norwich’s interest, the striker decided against leaving Norway midway through the season.

Instead, he remained with Bodø/Glimt to complete their European adventure before eventually securing an £11 million transfer to Scottish champions Celtic this summer.

Norwich Avoided a Significant Financial Commitment

Although Høgh’s move to Celtic underlines his growing reputation, Norwich may now feel fortunate that a deal never materialised.

Spending £11 million on a Championship striker would have represented a substantial financial commitment.

Instead, the Canaries invested considerably less in alternative attacking options while still strengthening their squad effectively.

With the benefit of hindsight, Norwich’s recruitment strategy appears increasingly sensible.

Rather than committing the majority of their transfer budget to one player, they spread their investment across multiple positions while still securing a striker capable of making an immediate impact.

Mohamed Toure Made an Instant Impression

Few players adapted more quickly after arriving in January than Mohamed Toure.

Despite joining late in the transfer window, the Australian international immediately established himself as one of Norwich’s most dangerous attacking players.

Across only 11 Championship appearances, Toure produced nine goals and three assists.

His remarkable scoring rate included two memorable hat-tricks, quickly turning him into one of the division’s standout performers.

Although a muscle injury temporarily interrupted his momentum and forced him to miss five consecutive league matches, his overall contribution exceeded expectations.

His performances ensured Norwich rarely felt the absence of Sargent.

Jovon Makama Also Offers Plenty of Promise

Norwich’s attacking options do not depend solely on Toure.

Jovon Makama has also demonstrated his potential since arriving from Lincoln City.

Signed for approximately £1.2 million, the striker enjoyed an encouraging first Championship campaign.

Across 28 league appearances, Makama contributed ten goals and one assist while adapting impressively to life in England’s second tier.

Although injury disrupted the latter stages of his season, his overall development provided Norwich supporters with plenty of optimism.

Now fully recovered, he is expected to compete directly with Toure for a regular starting place.

Healthy Competition Benefits Norwich

For Philippe Clement, having multiple high-quality striking options creates an enviable selection dilemma.

Managers often prefer difficult team selections over limited alternatives, and Norwich now possess genuine competition for places in attack.

Both Makama and Toure have already demonstrated their ability to score consistently at Championship level despite relatively limited opportunities.

That internal competition should help maintain high standards throughout the campaign while providing Clement with tactical flexibility depending on individual opponents.

Having two talented forwards competing for one position represents a luxury many Championship clubs would gladly welcome.

Excellent Value for Money

One of the most impressive aspects of Norwich’s recruitment is the value they appear to have secured.

Combined, Makama and Toure cost only a fraction of the £11 million Celtic have paid for Høgh.

Yet both players have already proven capable of producing goals at Championship level.

If they continue developing over the coming season, Norwich could eventually possess two strikers worth significantly more than their original transfer fees.

That would represent outstanding business by the club’s recruitment department.

Høgh’s Record Remains Outstanding

None of this diminishes Høgh’s quality.

The Danish striker leaves Bodø/Glimt after compiling an exceptional record.

Across 103 appearances in all competitions, he registered 54 goals and 22 assists.

Those numbers explain why Celtic were prepared to invest heavily in securing his signature.

His Champions League performances further demonstrated his ability to compete against Europe’s strongest clubs.

There remains every possibility that Høgh will become a major success in Scottish football.

Norwich Have Little Reason for Regret

Even if Høgh thrives at Celtic Park, Norwich are unlikely to feel disappointed about missing out.

Their existing options have already shown they possess the ability to influence matches consistently.

More importantly, the money saved by avoiding an expensive transfer allowed Norwich to strengthen other areas of the squad.

That balanced approach may ultimately benefit the team more over the course of a demanding Championship season.

Rather than relying heavily on one expensive striker, Norwich now possess greater squad depth alongside promising attacking talent.

Looking Ahead With Confidence

As the new Championship season approaches, Clement has every reason to feel optimistic about his attacking department.

Makama and Toure have already demonstrated their goalscoring ability, while Andre Brooks adds further creativity from wide areas.

Combined with the club’s measured recruitment strategy, Norwich appear well positioned to compete strongly for a place in the Championship’s top eight.

Høgh’s move to Celtic will naturally attract attention because of its significant transfer fee.

However, from Norwich’s perspective, events may simply reinforce the wisdom of their own recruitment decisions.

By identifying affordable alternatives capable of delivering immediate results, the Canaries may ultimately have secured far greater value than if they had pursued the expensive Danish striker.

Only time will reveal how Høgh performs in Scotland, but Norwich can already take encouragement from the impressive contributions of Toure and Makama, whose performances suggest the club may have found two outstanding attacking options without spending anywhere near £11 million.