After securing the permanent transfers of Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Gary Hooper this summer, it seems like Norwich City are set to go one step further and attempt to lure Fabio Quagliarella from the Italian Serie A champions to Carrow Road.
It would be quite a coup for the Canaries if they were to convince him away from Turin and would signal the intent and ambition that the Norfolk-based club hold for next season.
The 30-year-old has recently fallen out of favour at the Old Lady, with manager Antonio Conte bringing in the likes of Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente to the Juventus stadium this summer.
Having enjoyed previous spells at Napoli, Udinese and Sampdoria before moving to the Bianconeri in 2010, Quagliarella is no stranger to success and would bring a winning mentality that Chris Hughton so desperately craves in this new era at Carrow Road.
Primarily played as a centre forward, Quagliarella has scored 22 goals in 64 appearances for Juventus up to now, an impressive record considering he injured his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during his first season at the Old Lady.
He has also made 25 appearances for Italy since 2007 – managing six goals in the process. It begs the question: why aren’t more teams interested in bringing him to the Premier League? He can score goals and has proven that at one of Europe’s biggest clubs under extreme pressure on many occasions, and at around £8 million – he could be seen as a bargain.
Memorable games for the 30 year old involve his hat trick against Pescara in November 2012 after his three goals helped Juventus to a 6-1 win, whilst playing his role in a team that has won back-to-back titles in the past two seasons.
Admittedly, he isn’t as prolific as many of Europe’s top strikers, but it is guaranteed that he will provide more of a threat to Premier League opposition than Simeon Jackson and Steve Morison ever did for the Canaries.
The pair played 400 and 466 minutes respectively last season and only managed one goal each, a rather pitiful total. They managed three and nine goals respectively the previous year, giving them minutes per goal ratio’s of 314 and 233.
Compare this to Quagliarella’s stats at Juventus, and you can see why Hughton was so desperate to improve his forward line this summer. After making 27 appearances for the Old Lady, Quagliarella managed one goal every 129 minutes last season – a huge improvement on his minute per goal ratio of 222 in the 2011/12 season.
There is a huge difference between the scoring rates of Jackson and Morison, and if Hughton was to bring in the Italian forward, he’d have a forward line that could strike fear into any Premier League defence – even the likes of the Manchester clubs.
And the best part about Quagliarella? He plays for the team. After making three assists last season, he was also credited with just under one crucial pass per game on average, an admirable total for a centre forward.
His ability to deliver a consistent defensive contribution will prove useful when playing the top teams, giving Hooper the chance to anticipate knock downs.
In theory, Quagliarella could prove to be an improved version of Grant Holt for the Canaries. An accurate passer, he can also finish from long range – a key quality when playing for a mid-table team.
So, whilst nothing is set in stone for the Italian to move to the Premier League this summer, the feeling surrounding the local press in Norfolk is that Hughton is certainly keen on the striker, but will keep all business behind closed doors.
