Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United are reportedly looking at Norwich City’s Grant Hanley as an option to boost their defensive options heading into the second half of the season.
Norwich’s club captain has slid down the pecking order under head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup and he has been linked with a move away from Carrow Road during the January transfer window. With the 33 year old out-of-contact in the summer, a move away from the Canaries might be on the cards during the transfer window.
Who is Grant Hanley?
Hanley started his career at youth level for a number of clubs including Queen of the South, Crewe Alexandra and Rangers before joining Blackburn in 2008. The 33 year old made his professional debut in the Premier League for Rovers in May 2010 and made over 150 appearances for the Lancashire side during his eight year spell at Ewood Park.
Hanley spent a year at Newcastle United before joining Norwich in 2017. During his eight year spell at Carrow Road, the defender became an important figure during the Daniel Farke era and has made 197 appearances to date.
He has been club captain since the 2018-19 season and led the Canaries to two Championship titles. The experienced defender has made 59 appearances for Scotland with appearances at UEFA’s European Championships in 2021 and 2024.
With Thorup’s arrival at the start of the season, Hanley has seen his time in the Norwich side reduced which has led to reports of departure to Blackburn and Sheffield United this transfer window.
What would Grant Hanley bring to his potential new club?
One of the main reasons why Sheffield United and Blackburn might be looking to sign the Norwich captain is because of his experience. The 33 year old has made over 400 appearances in his career with a number of these in the Premier League.
Coupled with this is the fact that Hanley has won the Championship title twice with the East Anglian side which may provide that extra edge in the promotion race at the end of the season for the two clubs interested in him.
The Scottish international’s defensive capabilities is another benefit that he could bring to a potential new club. When looking at the 2021-22 season, Hanley played 33 matches in the Premier League during Norwich’s relegation season and his statistics suggest he held his own in the division.
Throughout the season the defender won 56.8% of tackles and 70.1% duels he attempted suggesting that he would add to the impressive defensive stats that Rovers and Blades are posting so far this season.
Hanley also provides aerial dominance from defending and attacking set pieces with his physicality having won 75.6% of aerial duels attempted during the 2021-22 season. His reading of the play is another reason why his addition could improve a side’s defence having made 1.74 interceptions per 90 minutes on average during Norwich’s relegation season.
The Canaries captain may not be at the peak of his career anymore but given his experience and defensive capabilities, he may be a good option for Blackburn and Sheffield United to explore as the defensive cover they are looking for.
How likely is Grant Hanley to leave Carrow Road?
Given his limited playing time, it seems likely that Hanley will look to get a move away from Carrow Road this month. Norwich are likely to facilitate a move away as well in order to get a fee for the defender given his contract comes to an end in the summer.
When speaking about Hanley, head coach Thorup has suggested that offers will be listened to and facilitated should they come for the defender:
“I can understand if he comes to me and says, ‘I want to play first team football on a regular basis’. Then, of course, we need to sit down and look at the situation”.
“It also [depends] what kind of offers he will get in January, because I think we have to be as honest with him as possible and also realistic”.
The sticking point in Hanley gaining a move away from Norwich is the length of contract being offered from the clubs interested. Both Sheffield United and Blackburn are looking at Hanley as short-term defensive cover.
The Blades are looking for a replacement for loanee defender Harry Souttar after his season ending injury and Blackburn are looking for defensive cover to improve their promotion prospects in the second half of the season.
With Hanley’s recent injury issues, having missed eight months of last season with an achilles injury, the likelihood of the defender earning a long-term contract is low. Should a compromise occur regarding the length of contract then Hanley’s lengthy time in East Anglia could be coming to an end this month.