Norwich City are now in the top half of the Championship standings and have finished with a bang, albeit not in contention for a top six spot or the play-offs.

That isn’t too awful for this year, as the Canaries appeared to be struggling for second-tier status prior to Philippe Clement’s arrival.

The former Rangers and Monaco manager has done a good job at Carrow Road, and following a somewhat busy summer transfer window in 2024, it wouldn’t be surprising if Norwich attacked the market again this summer.

With Clement at the helm, there will be a sense that they should be able to sustain a promotion challenge next season, regardless of how they accomplish it.

That will not prevent them from being active, and one player they are linked with for this summer is NEC Nimegen centre-back Deveron Fonville.

Deveron Fonville may be apprehensive of the competition in Norwich.

Norwich have some outstanding defensive alternatives at their disposal, and the arrival of another defender would have to be impressive if they are to force their way into being a crucial player in a loaded backline.

Despite the fact that competition for spots is fierce, FLW’s Norwich City Fan Pundit Zeke Downes believes Fonville is the type of player Norwich should be looking for.

“I believe we will need another one because we are losing (Shane) Duffy, or I hope we are, and we have (Ruairi) McConville, (Jose) Cordoba, and (Harry) Darling, who are mainstays, and then you have (Jakov) Medic, who I can see may want to move away if he is the fourth-choice.

“I believe we will need to sign another one, and then we will have four choices. A younger centre-back would be great, someone who would not be required to play every game.

“Obviously if he’s had experience chasing Champions League qualification, he might want to look for a team where he would be a starter but he is the right sort of player we would be looking for.”

Deveron Fonville has emerged as a rising talent for NEC.

Deveron Fonville began his professional career with Jong Utrecht after graduating from the PSV Eindhoven and Utrecht academy, before moving on to USV Hercules, IJSselmeervogels, and Dordrecht in the lower leagues.

In the summer of 2025, following an amazing eighth-place finish in the Eredivisie, NEC welcomed Fonville to the Gofferstadion, where they have done incredibly well.’

Fonville has established himself as a crucial player for NEC, who are third in the table, ahead of Twente, Ajax, and AZ Alkmaar, and aiming for UEFA Champions League qualifying.

The 22-year-old Dutch-born centre-back, who could represent Curacao at the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, will face stiff competition for a starting spot at City, but he is emerging as one of the Eredivisie’s most promising possibilities.

The left-footer, who can also play left-back, has emerged into a first-team regular as the season has progressed, having been on the fringes at the start of the season as a newcomer.

After starting on the first day of the season against PSV, Fonville did not play again until mid-December against Volendam. That marked the beginning of NEC’s nine consecutive starts over the next 15 games.