Steven Naismith is keen to convert his loan move to Heart of Midlothian FC into a permanent switch if Norwich City allows him to depart Carrow Road. According to recent reports, the Scottish forward has revealed that he wants to sign for Hearts permanently if both teams can come to an agreement in the near future.
Naismith’s current contract with the Canaries runs out in the summer of 2019. He has left Carrow Road on a temporary basis in search of more first-team opportunities after falling down the pecking order under Norwich boss Daniel Farke this season. The Scottish forward signed for the Canaries for a club-record fee of £8.5m from Everton in January 2016. Since then, he has gone on to make 48 appearances for Norwich City, scoring 8 goals while providing 5 assists in all competitions. In a recent interview, Naismith was quoted to have said, “A lot is going to be up to Norwich, to be honest,”
“I’ve got another year on my contract there and they’ve moved in a different direction, undoubtedly. They will have a say in it but I would definitely be open to staying in Scotland and staying at Hearts.
“I’ve loved every minute of it here and the club have been great with me. Probably the biggest thing is they have a very good squad of players with ability and who are also good characters to be around.
“I’m open-minded to anything at the moment. I have enjoyed it here. It’s a totally different set-up in terms of what I have been at before. That brings its own new challenges but also good points as well. Norwich will have a big say in what happens in the summer but I’m definitely open-minded.
“At the moment, I stay until the end of the season. The manager said at the start of it all that he wanted me to come in and show, through the experiences I’ve had, what he would expect from players day-to-day.
“That means your attitude before training, what you do afterwards, how you conduct yourself around the place. He wanted to give the younger players an insight into what it’s like at higher levels.”
With his future up in smokes at Carrow Road, let’s take a look at three replacements for the Canaries to consider next summer.
Óscar Estupiñán
The 21-year-old has put in some eye-catching displays for Vitória Guimarães SC this season. The Colombian has scored 7 goals and provided 7 assists in 25 appearances for the Portuguese club in this campaign. Daniel Farke can definitely bolster his attacking options by making a move for the Colombian starlet in the near future. Just like Naismith, he can operate in multiple positions across the frontline which makes him a perfect fit for the Canaries.
Ross McCormack
If the Norfolk side are looking for someone who can be a temporary fix, they can definitely opt for the services of the 31-year-old. He has returned to Aston Villa in January from his loan spell at Melbourne City in the A-League. He has put in some terrific performances for the Australian outfit and has scored 14 goals in 19 matches last season. The Scottish forward also has a wealth of experience in English football which makes him an ideal candidate to take up the goal-scoring duties at Carrow Road.
Patrik Schick
The AS Roma forward has immense potential and has featured in 14 matches for the Italians this season. The Czech Republic international was outstanding in his team’s Coppa Italia clash with Torino when he found the back of the net but was unable to help his team avoid defeat. At 22, he still has a lot of time to develop into a future star and the Canaries will do well to prise him away from Italy.
