Norwich City were in the hunt for Bologna’s Jay Enem in the summer, and background on the process has now emerged.
The 23-year-old attacker joined the Italian club from Red Star Belgrade in the summer. Soon, it became clear he wasn’t a big part of their plans and attempts were made to seal an exit.
Sport Witness tracked how Norwich City were actively competing with Watford for the transfer. They were ahead in the chase but the attacker ended up staying at Bologna.
This has proved to be important for Enem’s career, and he’s gained prominence in Italy.
Player becoming important
The 23-year-old made an appearance against Lecce at the weekend and scored a crucial goal in the 2-1 win. This was vital for a club which has changed managers recently and a win was very important for Raffaele Palladino.
Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Bologna’s failure to find a new club was a ‘sliding doors’ moment for Enem.
Norwich City were keen and had pushed for a loan deal. An agreement between them and Bologna never came, despite the attempts to define the deal.
Soon, Lugano made key progress for a transfer and Enem was also close to completing his medical. That is when Artem Dovbyk picked up a muscle injury and Bologna decided to keep the Dutchman beyond the summer.
Regrets about how everything turned out have evaporated, with the player becoming a reliable squad option at Bologna.
Gamble proving worth it
Enem hadn’t exactly sparkled at the highest level before joining Bologna. He did impress at Red Star, also doing well at OFK Belgrado, where he found the net ten times in 17 appearances.
There was little guarantee of things working out at the Rossoblu. So even if the decision was a gamble, it is paying off.
