Norwich City: Samuel Seaman on Angus Gunn contract situation

Almost before they'd had time to get ready for the trip to Coventry or googled Kaide Gordon's name, the discussion turned to Angus Gunn, and how to keep him at Carrow Road beyond next summer.

Much like 2024's was, the pre-season of 2025 could be one of significant change for the Canaries. Eight of their first-team players are out of contract, with three loan players who could return to their parent clubs thrown into the mix.

Among them are the club captain, a fan favourite, a striker with 200 Premier League appearances and a young prospect many were hoping would be a future starting centre-back. But it speaks volumes that Gunn is the only one who seems to be a serious talking point, and the main object of yellow and green anxieties.

Fans' attentions have turned to the 28-year-old (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)
Traditionally goalkeepers have been the last to receive recognition, and in truth it took a while for the 28-year-old to be seen alongside the likes of Josh Sargent and Borja Sainz, or formerly Gabriel Sara and Teemu Pukki. Combine his position with his three Norwich spells and general feeling of familiarity, and there was less of an edge to his presence in the side.

With each passing year, however, he's gained supporters, converting the sceptics and alerting critics to the vitality of his shot stopping. He’s outperformed his post-shot expected goals in each of his Championship seasons since returning to Norwich, meaning he’s pulled off a higher overall quality of save than the average goalkeeper would be expected to.

The timing of those stops was also essential in City’s charge to the play-offs last season, famously in the 2-1 win over Coventry but also draws against Swansea and Bristol City. There have been weak moments, but largely he’s stood up in the big occasions. That’s not easy given the pressure his name and associations bring.

Gunn's shot stopping has been key for Norwich since he re-joined them in 2021 (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)
It’s not just about the saves, though, as has increasingly become the case in modern football. Johannes Hoff Thorup, like many of his managerial peers, demands a goalkeeper who’s comfortable with their feet. Gunn gives him that.

Even in the less-defined era of David Wagner he was trusted to distribute accurately under pressure, being used mainly as a bait for the opposition press. Even then, when possession wasn’t the main focus of every training session and attacking wasn’t always the priority, he made very few mistakes on the ball.

Finding someone with that quality both willing to play in the English second tier and available at the right price would be a tough ask of sporting director Ben Knapper amid a host of other priorities and agendas as the long-term rebuild continues.

The Scot's quality in possession is another vital part of his game (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)
Ditto the shot stopping, a vital insurance policy in Thorup's system. The idea is to get things right at both ends, but few teams get away with the aggressive offensive setup he adopts without a little help from their goalkeeper.

Of course, it could be that the situation falls out of City's hands. Another tilt at the Premier League would be an attractive prospect for Gunn having failed to nail down a starting berth as Tim Krul's understudy. It does feel like there's some unfinished business there for the Scottish international.

It could also be that the finances provide a problem, with frugality an important part of the club's model and their number one a significant earner.

But some investment is still needed to keep this project progressing, and replacing him adequately would likely take a substantial sum for the reasons listed above.

In any case, it's easy to see why Gunn's contractual situation is at the forefront of fans' minds. With the transfer window shut for four more months, it'll now be at the forefront of Knapper's too.