Canaries boss pleased to have ‘specialist’ cover

Daniel Farke believes he has now ticked a box for squad depth after Norwich City secured the signing of Sam Byram from West Ham this week.

The Canaries are preparing for a Premier League return after running out convincing Championship winners last term. Byram joined the Hammers in a £4m deal from Leeds United in January 2016 but failed to establish himself and managed just 36 appearances in all competitions for the London side.

The 25-year-old spent last season on loan in the Championship with Nottingham Forest but missed the majority of the campaign after a knee operation. The Midlands side had hoped to secure a permanent move this summer, but Norwich swooped in to snap Byram up for an undisclosed fee.

He will add competition for places in the right-back area and also provide cover in the wide midfield positions, something which Farke is pleased about. “I’m delighted with this signing. It [right-back] was more or less the last position where we didn’t have a second specialist,” he said.

“After Ivo Pinto left and also Felix Passlack, it was important to bring in another option. I’m pretty delighted that we’ve been able to announce Sam, we are all happy he’s together with us.” The Norwich boss admits that Byram would have been out of reach for Norwich had his progress not stalled over the last couple of years, owing to injury setbacks.

“The most important topic is that he is full of potential and full of quality and he has proved this. At a young age, he was highly-rated,” he added. “Sadly the last two years he had some injuries but right now, he is back.

A few years ago he was probably not possible to sign because he was too highly-rated and too expensive.” Norwich are 1.83 to be relegated from the Premier League in the coming season.