Norwich City: Grant Hanley set for Birmingham City exit
Hanley is said to have traveled to the Midlands to have a medical and sign with the Blues, with City likely to mutually terminate the last six months of his Carrow Road deal.
Head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup made it plain ahead of the January transfer window that the seasoned Scottish international may move away.
The 33-year-old has been linked with Sheffield United and his former side Blackburn, but he wants to join the big-spending Blues instead.
Birmingham are two points clear at the top of League One under Chris Davies, and the club’s high-profile American owners have big hopes for the Second City side.
Birmingham broke the League One transfer record last summer by signing Jay Stansfield from Fulham for an estimated £15 million.
Hanley had only made one Championship start for the Canaries this season, on the opening weekend at Oxford. He was behind Shane Duffy, Callum Doyle, and Jose Cordoba in the pecking order.
The experienced centre defender, who was a member of Norwich’s two Championship-winning squads after joining in August 2017, sustained a catastrophic Achilles injury in April 2023.
Hanley missed the latest league and cup games, with Thorup stating that he was having injections for an Achilles problem.
The Scot is preparing to follow Ashley Barnes and Christian Fassnacht out of this window.
Thorup earlier stated that he would support Hanley in his pursuit of regular football.
“I think it’s fair to say I’ve had some talks with him,” he admitted in late December. “I know Glen (Riddersholm) is doing the same thing and trying to give him as much feedback as possible. That is most likely due to the international games he has participated.
“From a selfish standpoint, I want to keep him because he’s a leader, a captain, and a very experienced guy; he trains well, and he gets along well with the younger players.
“But I can understand if he comes to me and says, ‘I want to play first team football on a regular basis’. And, of course, we must sit down and assess the situation. And, of course, what type of offers will he receive in January, since I believe we must be as honest with him as possible while also remaining realistic.
“But from a selfish perspective, I would like him in the group, but I can certainly understand if anything comes up that
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