Rajiv van La Parra (right) while playing for Red Star Belgrade against Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League group B match between both the sides last November. (Getty Images)
According to Daily Mail, free agent Rajiv Van La Parra is a summer target for Premier League strugglers Norwich City.
Dutch winger Van La Parra recently departed Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade last March after joining the club for an initial £1.2million in August 2019. Though he had signed a three-year deal with them, Van La Parra and the Serbian club decided to part ways recently after reaching an agreement to terminate his contract.
The 28-year-old featured just 11 times for the Belgrade, of which five have come in the Champions League. Currently not committed to any club, the 28-year-old is now available for free, making him an attractive transfer target for many English clubs.
Meanwhile, Van La Parra is not new to English football, having plied his trade with clubs such as Wolves and Huddersfield in the past. The Dutchman had his first taste of football in England when he joined Wolves from Heerenveen for a free transfer back in 2014.
After featuring 57 times for Wolves and scoring twice and assisting 11 times, Van La Parra left for fellow Championship side Huddersfield after excelling for them during a brief loan spell.
He played a key role in Huddersfield’s promotion into the Premier League, making 36 starts in the 2016-17 season. Van La Parra’s time at Huddersfield also involved a brief loan spell at Middlesbrough and he played the maximum games of his football career with them.
The winger played a total of 102 matches for them before moving to Belgrade last summer. Having already played 114 matches in the Championship and 38 times in the Premier League, there is no questioning Van La Parra’s experience.
Meanwhile, Daniel Farke’s Norwich City are set for an almost certain relegation back to the Championship after earning their promotion just last season. They are currently at the bottom of the league table after managing to win a mere five games out of their overall 29 league games this season.
With the side clearly struggling to retain their place in the Premier League and with relegation threat looming around, Norwich could really do with an experienced campaigner like Van La Parra. Also, with the side’s wingers – Emiliano Buendía, and Onel Hernández failing to impress, Norwich are in dire need of some new faces next season whether they stay or get relegated.
With Van La Parra having already proved himself both in the Championship and Premier League before, he could prove to be a valuable addition for the struggling Norwich. Hence, the Canaries should up their interests and sign him sooner than later.
Despite being selected frequently, wingers Buendía and Hernández haven’t delivered the goods, which is evident from Norwich’s poor display this season. They Clearly need a winger and Van La Parra, who has vast experience in English football, is a good option.
