“Almost made it to airport” – Norwich City player on booking ticket for January exit

Norwich City’s Emiliano Marcondes had options to leave the Championship side for a German club in January.

The attacking midfielder hasscored one goal and contributed two assists from 17 matches for the Canaries this season.

He played regularly and that didn’t change after Norwich City appointed Philippe Clement as Liam Manning’s successor in November.

However, things started to go wrong for the 31-year-old since the turn of the year. He last made an appearance on January 4th and has been in and out of Clement’s squad since then.

Marcondes’ Championship states this season:

• Appearances: 16
• Starts: 7
• Minutes per game: 41
• Total minutes played: 648

The manager didn’t consider the former Brentford man at Carrow Road because the club wanted to get rid of him in January. He had already confirmed this to the Danish media in February.

January options to leave Norwich City

Tipsbladet have on Saturday published a fresh interview with the Norwich City player, who talks about the January interest.

Marcondes’ move to another club was at such a stage that he booked tickets and packed his bags. He’s now confirmed an unnamed German club were one of those that came forward in the last window.

“I spoke to a couple of clubs on the last day of the transfer window, and that was also what made me not go anyway,” he said.

“I spoke to a club in Germany in the 2. Bundesliga, which closed their window on Monday, and then an offer came from another club, where the window was open for another week, and that ended up influencing my choice.

“Both things were actually exciting. In the end, I didn’t feel completely sure about it. There were several things that came into play with the two clubs.

“I almost made it all the way to the airport. The ticket was booked, and the suitcase was packed, whether it was one place or the other that I was going to.

“There were also a few more interested clubs. Actually, over here from England, who urgently needed a player, but I thought it was a bit of a desperate attempt.

“You really have to keep a cool head, because it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of not playing when offers come in, so you have to think it through one more time, even though things are moving fast, and I’m actually really happy with my decision.”

What next for Marcondes

Emiliano Marcondes has already ruled out an immediate exit by terminating his Norwich City contract. The Dane has over three months left in his deal and as things stand, he will leave Clement’s side as a free agent.

There’s been no fee involved when Marcondes has joined a new club on a permanent transfer so far. That is unlikely to change when he moves to another club in the summer.

He joined Brentford for free in 2018, after leaving Nordsjaelland. Three years later, the Bees released him and AFC Bournemouth sign him for free. The Cherries released him at the end of the 2023/24 season and Norwich City secured his services in October 2024.