SHREWSBURY, ENGLAND - AUGUST 05: Carlton Morris of Shrewsbury Town in action during the Sky Bet League One match between Shrewsbury Town and Northampton Town at New Meadow on August 5, 2017 in Shrewsbury, England. (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)
According to the Daily Telegraph (h/t The Pink’Un), Norwich City striker Carlton Morris has emerged as a transfer target for Championship rivals Barnsley ahead of the January window.
The 24-year-old Canaries graduate is currently out on loan at MK Dons in League One but Norwich remain open to selling him during the mid-season trading period with the asking price set at £300,000. (Telegraph h/t Pink’Un)
Born in Cambridge, Carlton Morris joined Norwich City’s youth system back in 2006 and represented the club across various age-group levels, winning the FA Youth Cup in 2013. He signed a professional contract in the same year and made his first-team debut for the Canaries during the 2014-15 season before venturing out on loan to Oxford United and York City in League Two.
Morris shot to prominence during his loan spell at Hamilton Academical in the Scottish top-flight in the following campaign, scoring 8 times in 33 appearances. On his return to Carrow Road, he continued to be a key player for Norwich’s U-23 side but lack of playtime at the senior level paved the pay for another loan move to Rotherham United in the Championship.
The 24-year-old rejoined Rotherham on loan in League One in 2019-20 after spending time at Shrewsbury Town in the third-tier. Morris spent the second half of the previous campaign on loan at MK Dons and had his loan spell renewed for another 12 months at the start of the 2020-21 season. He has scored thrice in 16 League One appearances this term so far.
Carlton Morris was once regarded as a top prospect in Norwich’s academy but he hasn’t really been able to cement himself in the senior set-up at Carrow Road since making his debut way back in 2014-15. Currently out on his eighth loan spell away from the club, the striker’s future at the Canaries looks well and truly over.
The Cambridge-born hitman is set to enter the last six months of his contract with Norwich. The January window would, therefore, be the last real opportunity for the club to bag a fee for their academy graduate in the market. That would certainly make more sense rather than allowing him to depart on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Looking at things from the player’s perspective, Morris is approaching a crossroads in his career at 24. With established players like Teemu Pukki and Jordan Hugill competing for places in Daniel Farke’s side in the Championship, Morris needs to seek a permanent move away from Carrow Road to kick start his career.
Norwich need to offload some of their fringe players to reduce the pressure on their wage bill and free up space for new signings. Carlton Morris has been out of favour for a very long time and the Canaries cashing in on the striker in January would surely be a fair settlement for all parties involved.