The Sunday People are today carrying a story suggesting that Crystal Palace want Grant Holt and have been quoted £2m for the City legend.
The infamous ‘source close to the player’ is quoted as saying:
“There is going to be a lot of competition to play as the No.9 next season so it probably means Grant will move on.
There`s been some interest from promoted clubs so that could be his next challenge.’
Palace are going to be short up top after Glenn Murray suffered a cruciate knee injury in the first play off game against Brighton – he will be out until the new year at the earliest after scoring 30 goals in the Championship last season.
So, would Holt choose a move to Palace? In my view this seems very unlikely.
The word ‘legend’ is bandied about all too often these days but in Grant Holt we have a bone fide legend at our club. He joined Norwich City when we were teetering on the edge of disaster having just been relegated to the third tier. It was widely reported that in the autumn of that season we were just weeks away from going bust. It was only a restructuring deal with our bankers that allowed us to continue in business, the same deal now also sees us debt free.
Holt was bought for a paltry £400k (which we struggled to afford at the time) raised by a club director matching money contributed by fans.
His impact was immediate, it was almost as if he said ‘I’m going to the Premier League and you’re coming with me’ as he grabbed the club by the scruff of the neck and dragged us all with him.
His three consecutive player of the season awards showed our appreciation.
Holty is constantly being linked with a move away from Carrow Road after putting in a transfer request last summer. My thoughts are that this was all about posturing for an extra year on his contract.
Having played most of his career in the lower leagues, Holt does not have a pension nest egg as big as most other Premier League players. The transfer request was about money and he got an extra year. I for one don’t begrudge it after what he has done for the club.
He will only have been earning £20k+ a week for the last couple of seasons and knows that retirement is looming. I know that sort of money is incredible to the likes of you and me but not in the Premier League – I hope I’m getting that across as I intend to.
It is also well documented that Holt’s family have moved back to Carlisle after the family saw a house that they’d ‘had their eye on’ for several years come up for sale and they duly bought it.
Would Holt move then? Unlikely I’d say. He is unlikely to move to Palace which is even further away from Carlisle and there aren’t many teams in the Championship that could afford him on those wages at that age.
The reported interest from Melbourne Heart in Australia would have to be all about money. The package would have to be sensational to tempt him to leave the country and the Premier League while he’s at the top of his game.
He has just finished as the club’s top scorer for the fourth successive season and despite not quite getting into double figures you can’t underestimate his influence on the team and dressing room. He is a motivator and that’s why he’s club captain, Lambert knew it and Chris Hughton knows it.
The one move I could forsee is to Scotland as a make weight in a deal for Gary Hooper. Celtic is closer to Carlise, they could afford his wages and he would score loads of goals – cult status would again be assured.
After the release of Simeon Jackson, City only have three strikers, we will need four so surely we won’t sell another. Toivonen has played most of his time at PSV as an attacking midfielder so even if he talks to us we would need another striker.
Anything is possible in football but come the end of August I think Grant Holt will still be a Norwich City player. The silly season is truly in full effect…
OTBC
Share this article
