Player likely to return to Norwich despite highly successful spell away – Manager admits they can’t afford him

Christos Tzolis is likely to return to Norwich City from Fortuna Dusseldorf at this moment in time, with the Germans unable to buy him permanently.

That’s according to journalist Patrick Berger, who covers comments from Dusseldorf manager Klaus Allofs on the matter today.

Tzolis has been on loan with Dusseldorf from Norwich since the summer and proven to be a big success, bagging 22 goals and seven assists in 30 games in the 2. Bundesliga and two assists in the 3-0 win over VfL Bochum in the first leg of their play-off to reach the Bundesliga.

They would naturally love to keep him and have an option to do so, with a €5m clause anchored into the loan deal with Norwich in the summer.

They’ve not yet activated that clause despite his impressive numbers and are unlikely to do so at this moment in time, at least according to Allofs, who insists it’s simply too much for them.

“Our framework conditions don’t allow that,” Berger reports him saying.

“We negotiated a purchase option knowing that it would actually be an impossible undertaking for us given the economic situation.”

“But we don’t know what options there are if we really get promoted. I haven’t completely given up hope yet.”

Berger reports that the Rhinelanders ‘probably can’t take up the clause either way but that may not be the end of the road for Tzolis in Germany anyway.

He is reportedly ‘surrounded by’ several teams from the Bundesliga as well as other first division sides in Europe and so could have other offers on the table moving forwards.

If Dusseldorf don’t take up their option, he will return to Norwich first before perhaps securing a move elsewhere and leaving his current loan side kicking themselves in the process.