Norwich City: Kellen Fisher and Uriah Djedje hopes analysed

There's the potential transfer saga involving Gabriel Sara, with Roma persistently linked and top-flight clubs known to be interested all over the globe. Marcelino Nunez has been the subject of similar speculation, with Trabzonspor's advances rejected by the Canaries.

Add to the mix Jacob Sorensen, who's just signed a new contract and is the only compatriot Johannes Hoff Thorup has in his squad; could he be the solution to City's 'number six' conundrum? Could that, in fact, be Liam Gibbs, who David Wagner saw as a striker but could be set for a new lease of life?

Even Borja Sainz, perhaps the club's most direct and diminutive winger, has been played in midfield, and that's received little attention. What about the transfer market, where many supporters hoped the centre of the pitch would be sporting director Ben Knapper's priority?

All of those topics are up for discussion, and yet two young prospects, barely conceivable as members of the debate a month ago, have stolen the limelight this summer.

Kellen Fisher and Uriah Djedje first combined as central midfielders a week ago, side by side in a trio with Adian Manning as Norwich cruised to a 3-0 win over Northampton Town. The former was a typically box-to-box number eight, the latter his traditional deeper-lying position, tasked with breaking up play and shielding a cobbled-together defence.

Could Uriah Djedje be the solution to the Canaries' holding problems? (Image: Martyn Haworth)

It's notable that Fisher's deployment wasn't quite so familiar, given his use as a right-back for the entirety of his Carrow Road career. Even in the early days at Bromley he played both as a winger and defender, with the middle of the park a limited part of his football vocabulary until now.

But Thorup's willingness to look outside the box is already clear, and in context his fresh categorisation of the 20-year-old was understandable. The driving runs he'd previously made by the sideline were suited to central ball progression, and his impressive ball control was even more useful in densely populated areas.

So impactful was his performance in that Cobblers victory, the first thing on fans' lips upon exiting Sixfields was what the future held for him. His head coach clearly agreed with them, given the 63 midfield minutes Fisher played against Belgian champions Club Brugge five days later.

It was fitting that his replacement on that day, ending in a similarly comfortable 3-0 win but this time for the home team, was Djedje. He strolled onto the pitch at The Nest and again looked comfortable with his surroundings, even given the step-up in opposition.

In many ways he's exactly what those supporters have yearned for: a physically imposing, athletic, disciplined enough to protect the defence as well as winning the ball back as often as possible. Much of that comes down to his size, standing at six-foot two with an imposing frame.

Add that to his footballing ability and age, and the upside City could be in for is clear. At just 18 there's plenty of time to develop, but he's also got a good number of games under his belt already. Forty five, to be precise, across under-18 Premier League, Premier League 2 and FA Youth Cup levels.

Unlike Fisher, however, Djedje hasn't got a single first-team appearance to his name, and that's something he'll want to change. Whether the opportunity is there is the question, and the long list of experienced names listed above suggests it might not be.

But with everything in flux, and a financial situation meaning no player's sale is impossible, a first-team chance just might emerge. An acceptable bid for either Sara or Nunez changes the picture significantly, as does a significant injury or a player who surprisingly fails to meet Thorup's expectations.

For both of the young hopefuls, their breakthroughs could be coming at the right time. Even with internationals returning and the squad growing stronger, the palpable sense of an opening for young players remains a consistent theme. There is plenty of competition, but the ground remains fertile for change.

Perhaps, just as Fisher and Djedje have stolen a conversational show bursting with more high-profile alternatives, that quagmire of uncertainty actually works in their favour.