Five reasons Norwich shouldn't be going after Becchio

Norwich are expected to complete the signing of Leeds United striker Luciano Becchio today but here are five reasons they should be going after someone else.

Luciano Becchio has been a stalwart of the Leeds United side for several years with speculation over his future exploding at the start of January. Norwich City seem set to sign him ahead of Wigan but it may not be the best move.

Experience

Fair enough Becchio has played close to 200 games for Leeds but these matches have been in League One and the Championship. He has no experience of playing in the Premier League which means he could struggle with the pace and physical side of the game. He’s not played in a single top European division in his career.

Age

Becchio is 29-years-old and is unlikely to improve much more in terms of being a professional player. Therefore, Norwich are taking a huge gamble on the fact that his technique and his form are already good enough for him to have an impact in Premier League matches.

Contract

This is likely to be the final move of Becchio’s career and hence he will demand the same contract he had at Leeds or one that is even better. Considering he’s one of the best paid players at Leeds, it could be a big financial commitment for a club of Norwich’s calibre, especially when there are alternatives out there.

Recent History

Go back to the summer of 2011 when he was last touted around to several Premier League clubs and not a single side bit the bait. He’s now older and hasn’t changed drastically in terms of his strike rate. If there were reasons clubs didn’t sign him then, they are still lingering around and have even increased in number.

Reputation

He carries a bit of a reputation in the Championship for being a strong and physical player, a bit of a wall. This reputation is likely to get him nowhere in the Premier League with teams used to playing against strong strikers. Maybe Norwich should be going for someone who is a bit more versatile.

Tell us what you think.

Lewis Doe

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Lewis Doe is a freelance writer and editor who seeks to bring you the biggest, smallest and most interesting stories from the football world. Lewis has previously written for some of the biggest football news and opinion sites in the world including FootballFanCast and Goal.com International. Lewis is also experienced writing in the betting industry and aims to deliver his stories with up to date factual and statistical information. He hopes to sum up stories for the site and provide an angle on the issue moving forward.