English Premier League: 5 Players Norwich City Were Right Not to Sign

Norwich City have made their return to the Premier League, and as ever, there are plenty of people who have opinions on who the Canaries should sign.

The words Premier League experience seem  to crop up on an almost daily basis. However, Norwich City manager Paul Lambert has his own ideas on what players he should be going after.

Norwich have already added six players to their squad in the shape of James Vaughan, Elliott Bennett, Ritchie De Laet (loan), Bradley Johnson, Anthony Pilkington and Steven Morison.

Lambert has recently stated that he is very happy with his squad and perhaps is looking for just one or two new players before the transfer window closes at the end of August.

However, there were many players that Norwich could have signed, but the truth is they were highly unlikely to ever of been on Paul Lambert's radar.

So click through this slideshow on five players that Norwich were right not to sign.

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Robert Green, West Ham United

As a lot of people know Robert Green started his career and Norwich City, and you would think in theory the West Ham goalkeeper would be open to a return.

This would especially be the case following West Ham United's relegation, and Robert Green will know that in order to keep his hopes of playing for England alive, he simply must be playing in the Premier League.

However, there are a few elements that make him not such a good option. Norwich City already have a very good goalkeeper in the shape of John Ruddy and another two young and very good goalkeepers as backup.

There may be the argument that he would provide good experienced competition, however, Robert Green wouldn't sign as a backup player. Therefore, the signing would risk holding back other goalkeepers at the club.

Now, with Norwich City being Premier League, it would be difficult to tell if Green would want to sign purely on that fact rather than love for Norwich City as a club.

The bottom line is at 31, he doesn't fit in as the sort of young and hungry player that Paul Lambert is looking for and his significant wages would not have been good for Norwich City.

A wise decision to stay clear in my book. 

Matthew Upson, West Ham United

Matt Upson is another player that some people might think would be a good signing for Norwich City.

The link would not be all that obvious because Upson has never previously played for Norwich City. However, he is from East Anglia, and some people feel he is a player that got away.

Clearly, the Premier League and international experience would be useful to Norwich City, but at what cost? Upson is an established Premier League player and would demand a starting berth alongside huge wages.

There would be a danger that Upson would benefit far more from any such move than Norwich City.

It remains to be seen how Norwich City will perform in the Premier League as a defensive unit, but the fact remains there are already four quality central defenders, and they deserve their opportunity.

Paul Lambert has made another wise decision in staying clear of a player that could disrupt team spirit by feeling he is a far bigger name than the other players. 

Miroslav Klose, Free Agent

This is a rumor that dates back to the early period of the transfer window. At the time, Klose was a free agent after failing to agree terms on a new contract with Bayern Munich. The German international has now of course signed for Lazio.

But it was never a player that Paul Lambert would have wanted or been prepared to pay for.

Yes, he was technically available on a free transfer but would have demanded high wages. A player that is 33 and has played over 100 times for Germany doesn't quite seem to fit in.

Yes, Klose is a quality player and no doubt would score goals in the Premier League. However, Norwich City have to bring the best quality players in a sensible way that won't upset the other players in the squad.

The club has since moved on and has four strikers in the shape of Grant Holt, Simeon Jackson, James Vaughan, Steve Morison and a few others to provide backup. On paper, it looks like another wise decision not to pursue Miroslav Klose.

D.J. Campbell, Blackpool

D.J. Campbell may not have been officially linked to Norwich City by the media, but there are plenty of journalists out there that think he would have been a good signing.

This is certainly an understandable conclusion based on his performances last season and the 13 goals he scored.

However, I think it's important to look at Campbell's career as a whole before making any judgement on how good or bad a signing he would make.

Even a very small amount of research shows that D.J. Campbell has never really been prolific, and his record last season was very much the exception rather than the rule. Taking that into consideration and the fact that he is 29 suggests he would be a big gamble and probably would not have many seasons in him at the top level.

The striker looks set to join QPR, and time will tell if he proves to be a good signing or not.

With everything considered, it's my opinion that the strikers that Norwich City currently have have a better chance of making an impact in the Premier League than D.J. Campbell.     

Clive Platt, Coventry City

Norwich City were linked with a move for Clive Platt toward the end of last season when they were looking for a loan striker to bolster their team.

At the time, it would have been a strange one, so it is even stranger to see the Coventry City striker linked again. But the bottom line is he is not good enough for a top Championship team, nevermind a Premier League team.

The link probably stems from the fact that Paul Lambert had the striker when he was manager of Colchester United. However, there is little evidence that he could make the step up to the Premier League, and at the age of 33, he doesn't exactly have time on his side.

Platt doesn't exactly have an impressive top level goal scoring and has never played Premier League football. The fact that Platt has only scored three league goals in his time with Coventry suggests that he wouldn't score many goals in the Premier League.

A wise decision to stay clear and any Premier League club signing Clive Platt would be taking a significant gamble, even if the fee was minimal.