Why Norwich City should reignite their interest in Nuno Da Costa

Back in June, a report from The Sun had claimed that Norwich City were tracking Strasbourg forward Nuno Da Costa, with a view to a bolstering their attack after securing promotion to the Premier League.

The 28-year-old was also on the wishlist of Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion but nothing came to fruition and the Cape Verdean international stayed put at Strasbourg in the French top-flight (h/t Sun).

Image result for nuno da costa" — Nuno da Costa had been linked with a move to Norwich City back in the summer (Getty Images)

As a result, Patrick Roberts was brought in on a season-long loan deal from reigning Premier League champions Manchester City while Swiss international Josip Drmic also came through the door at Carrow Road on a free transfer from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Fast-forwarding the sequence of events to mid-November, Norwich City are currently languishing in the bottom of the standings in the Premier League, following an injury-hit start to life in the top-flight.

The Canaries have managed to score only 13 goals in 13 games while conceding 28 in the process.

Indeed, that defensive record is the second-worst in the entire division, with Farke left helpless by injuries to three of the club’s mainstays at the back – Timm Klose, Christoph Zimmermann and Grant Hanley.

In fact, Sevilla loanee Ibrahim Amadou has been forced to play in an unfamiliar central defensive role.

To that end, defensive reinforcements should be a top priority for Norwich but Farke also needs to find a way to sort out the team’s goalscoring woes.

Pukki continues to be the go-to man for the Canaries when it comes to delivering the goals but with Dennis Srbeny and Drmic failing to start even a single game in the league so far, Norwich need to dip into the market in January for a new striker.

To put things into perspective, the Canaries should go back in the market for Nuno Da Costa in January in a bid to release the goalscoring workload on Pukki.

The 28-year-old is not the most prolific but given the club’s position at the bottom of the table, it is hard to see how they could possibly attract many high-profile players midway through the season.

The 28-year-old, who made his move to Strasbourg from Ligue 2 outfit Valenciennes in the summer of 2017, has accumulated a decent return of 15 goals and 9 assists in 81 appearances across all competitions.

Verdict

Having netted 8 times in the French top-flight last season, Da Costa is yet to find the net for Strasbourg this term but with the Cape Verdean out of contract in 2021, Norwich must try and negotiate a reasonable fee for the 28-year-old in January.

His versatility to play in multiple positions across the forward line would hand a massive boost to Farke’s overall dynamics.

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That said, Norwich City reigniting interest in Nuno Da Costa could be a stepping stone towards ensuring survival in the Premier League.