Norwich City head into the summer still carrying the after-effects of a season in which they were short of creative and wide players, and Ben Knapper has already made clear that he plans to add more pace and depth in the attacking channels. The focus now is on who can fill those roles after several departures and a handful of makeshift solutions last season.

That shortage was visible in the numbers. If Ali Ahmed is set aside, Norwich's other five wide options managed just 27 league starts between them last season. Ahmed, Papa Amadou Diallo and Matej Jurasek are the club's primary traditional winger options heading into the new campaign, while Amankwah Forson, Errol Mundle-Smith and Ante Crnac can also be used out wide. Philippe Clement turned to Liam Gibbs and Kenny McLean on the flanks more than once, and Jovon Makama was also asked to play wide despite preferring to operate as a striker.

There is also the question of how much more can be asked of the younger players already on the books. Elliot Myles remains under contract until 2028, with the option of a further year, but Clement said as recently as March that he was not ready for Championship football. That leaves Norwich leaning on a group that is talented but still incomplete, especially after Tony Springett departed and Jeffrey Schlupp moved on following more than 150 appearances in advanced attacking roles across his career.

The issue is not limited to the wings. Emi Marcondes' exit left Norwich with three natural options at number 10, with Oscar Schwartau, Anis Ben Slimane and Paris Maghoma now in the frame to play behind the striker. Clement experimented with Jacob Wright and Mathias Kvistgaarden in that role during the last campaign, a sign of how often he had to improvise when the preferred shape was not available.

That is why this summer matters now, not later. Norwich cannot afford another season in which wide attackers are repeatedly repurposed and the team is patched together one position at a time. Knapper's plan to strengthen the attacking areas, especially in the wide channels, is the clearest sign yet that the club understands where the gaps are. The next step is whether those additions arrive soon enough to stop the same shortage from defining the start of the campaign.