Norwich City have reportedly joined the race to sign Manchester City defender Callum Doyle on loan.
Having seen Sam McCallum and Dimitrios Giannoulis depart the club at the end of the season, the club are low on left-backs and they have identified the 20 year old as a potential replacement.
Doyle’s experience at a young age
Doyle spent the entirety of his youth career playing for Manchester City’s teams from under 18s up to the under 23s. He has made over 40 appearances for the Citizen’s youth teams and got his first taste of men’s football during a loan spell at Sunderland in the 2021-22 season.
He made 44 appearances for the Black Cats and helped them to success in League One by winning the play offs and returning the club to the Championship. Doyle’s first spell in the second tier came with Coventry City who he was loaned out to for the following season.
A number of impressive performances for the sky blues followed with 46 appearances in all competitions seeing the defender participate in another set of end play offs. This time around though, Doyle tasted defeat at Wembley with Coventry losing to Luton Town in the final.
He returned to the Championship last season, this time with Leicester City and made 23 appearances to help the Foxes secure the title and return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Along with his progression in Manchester City’s youth teams is Doyle’s progression amongst England’s youth teams. He had made appearances for the under 18s up until the under 21s whom he made a goalscoring debut for in September 2023 in a UEFA European under 21 championship qualifier against Luxemburg. The left-back was also a member of the England squad that won the UEFA European under 19 Championship in 2022.
Having not made an appearance in the Premier League, it is unlikely that Doyle would be amongst the squad at Manchester City for the 2024-25 season. Therefore another move on loan seems the most likely scenario for the 20 year old and Norwich have thrown their hat in the ring to sign the left-back.
What would Doyle bring to Norwich?
Mark Robins, who was Doyle’s manager during his loan spell at Coventry, had high praise for the 20 year old defender:
“I think he’s a really talented player who has everything he needs to have a brilliant career in the game. Technically he’s very, very good and he’s learning the other bits and pieces”.
Reports suggest that Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper and new head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup are looking to freshen up their squad with a few younger faces. Given the departures of McCallum and Giannoulis, the priority is in the left-back position.
Despite being 20 years old, Doyle would bring with him experience of not only Championship football, but successful sides having played in a play off final with Coventry and winning the title with Leicester.
The defender would also bring versatility to a Norwich side having played in his natural left back position and as a centre back in a back three at times last season. Playing alongside experienced defenders in Conor Coady and Wout Faes, both of whom have played Premier League and international football, last season will no doubt have had a positive impact on the young defender.
He may not have the best attacking output for a full back but his defensive statistics from last season suggest how much of an impressive signing this would be for the Canaries. The 20 year old won an average of 2.17 tackles per 90 minutes with a success rate of 70.7%.
Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup has dedicated his first training sessions of the new season to patterns in possession in an attempt to implement a possession heavy style of play for the upcoming campaign. Signing Doyle would most likely fit seamlessly into Thorup’s philosophy and desires.
Having been part of a Leicester side that had the second highest average possession in the Championship last season (62.1%), Doyle is comfortable with the ball at his feet. The England under 21 international had a pass accuracy of 81.7% with 55.09 successful passes completed per 90 minutes along with a 66.7% dribble success rate.
Given Manchester City’s desire to play possession heavy football, a season under Thorup at Norwich would seemingly provide a benefit to both Doyle and his parent club given the style of football likely to be seen at Carrow Road in the 2024-25 season.