Why Norwich City have struck gold with a new deal for Kenny McLean
According to The Pink’Un, Norwich City midfielder Kenny McLean has signed a new three-year deal after shining in the Canaries’ relegated Premier League campaign last term.
As per the source, the 28-year-old already had two years remaining on his previous contract until 2022 and the new deal has now added a further year to extend his stay at Carrow Road.
The Scottish international was one of the standout performers for Norwich last season, starting 32 of the club’s games in the Premier League as the Canaries finished rock bottom of the standings and went straight back down to the Championship.
Profile
Born in Rutherglen, Scotland, Kenny McLean had a brief stint in the youth ranks of Rangers but he joined St.Mirren following his release from the Ibrox giants.
The 28-year-old had a loan spell at Arbroath in the third tier during the 2009-10 season before returning to St.Mirren and breaking into the first-team picture. McLean went on to register over 150 appearances for the Saints in all competitions before completing a move to domestic rivals Aberdeen in January 2015.
The Scottish midfielder’s impressive spell at the Pittodrie Stadium saw him rack up a notable tally of 25 goals and 18 assists in 158 appearances for the Don’s across all competitions. He returned on loan to Aberdeen for the remainder of the 2017-18 season after completing a £150,000 transfer to Norwich in January 2018.
McLean missed the first half of the 2018-19 season due to an injury but made a big impact with 3 goals and 6 assists in 20 Championship appearances later on in the campaign. Daniel Farke’s side secured promotion to the Premier League as the outright winners of the English second-tier.
The Scottish international established himself as one of Farke’s trusted lieutenants in the middle of the park after Norwich’s promotion to the top-flight, featuring in all but one of the club’s 38 league fixtures last term.
McLean remains a key player for Norwich City
Norwich City have wrapped up some early business in the summer window following their relegation from the Premier League, with as many as ten new players coming through the door at Carrow Road.
The Canaries have largely resorted to low-key acquisitions and free transfers to bolster several areas of their squad as Farke’s men prepare to put up a strong challenge for promotion in the Championship this term.
The likes of Kieran Dowell, Oliver Skipp, and Jacob Lungi Sorensen have been roped in to reshuffle the midfield unit. It will be interesting to see how Farke plans to integrate the new signings into his side for the upcoming campaign.
With that in mind, however, Norwich also need to keep faith in the players who got them promoted a couple of years ago and held their own in the Premier League despite the club’s ignominious relegation campaign. Kenny McLean is certainly one of them and a new deal for him has further confirmed his status as one of the club’s key cogs in the midfield.
As per the report, Farke has expressed his delight over McLean’s new deal, hailing the Scotsman as a dynamic and aggressive midfielder capable of delivering assists on a regular basis at the Championship level.
It’s a clear indication that the 28-year-old is held in high regard by the manager and the new deal means that Norwich can now look forward to enjoying the prime years of his career.
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Verdict
Capable of playing in multiple positions in the midfield, Kenny McLean is arguably one of Norwich’s most versatile outlets in the middle. McLean clearly has a lot to offer at 28 and it’s easy to figure out from the above discussion that Norwich have pulled off a masterstroke by tying him down to fresh terms.
