Grant Holt is not for sale and there is no mutiny at Carrow Road, according to Norwich chief executive David McNally.
'There is no mutiny here', insists Norwich chief executive
Grant Holt is not for sale and there is no mutiny at Carrow Road, according to Norwich chief executive David McNally.
Holt put a transfer request in last month after scoring 15 Premier League goals in the Canaries' successful return to the top flight last season.
Manager Paul Lambert then walked away from Carrow Road to take the vacant manager's role at Aston Villa, leading to speculation there could be a series of exits this summer.
But McNally is adamant that the club's 31-year-old target man will be staying at Norwich next season.
"The Grant Holt matter is completely unrelated to the Paul Lambert issue," McNally told
The Pink 'Un. "That is clear from the timing of the initial transfer request.
"Grant Holt, we would prefer absolutely to stay at the football club. He has been magnificent for us. The first player to win the Player of the Season trophy three years in succession, and rightly so.
"He was mentioned by many as a potential member of the England Euro squad this year - 70 goals in three years, 17 goals last year including 15 in the Premier League.
"He is not for sale - Grant Holt is not for sale."
Replacement
"How much will it cost me and the club to find a replacement, a centre forward with 70 goals in the next three seasons? How much would that cost?
"Players do join football clubs and players do leave football clubs, but Grant is not for sale. He has two years left on his contract and we look forward to him completing the length of his contract.
"There is not really a split. He has asked for a transfer, it has been denied and that is where we are, really.
"I am sure when we have a new manager in, the new manager will pick up the day-to-day management of the players once again."
There has been speculation that with Norwich facing the prospect of losing their star player as well as their manager, this is the tip of the iceberg and there is unrest at Carrow Road.
But McNally is adamant that the problems at the club are being overstated.
"There is no mutiny here," he added.
"The players are fine - they will be saying, quite rightly, good luck to Paul Lambert, he has been great for them, and they have enjoyed working with him.
"But most of the players that I have spoken to are saying they are really excited about the new season, new face, new voice.
"Good luck to Paul, I am sure he will do well at Aston Villa, but we are really excited about the next chapter at Norwich City Football Club.
"And we are very lucky that we have so many young, talented footballers whose careers are on the rise and we have got them at the right age and we have time on their contracts."
