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Ipswich Town brought Marcelino Nunez into their squad from bitter rivals Norwich City, the first time a player has moved between the clubs for 24 years, and the Canaries legend has now let his thoughts be known about the move.
While Onel Hernandez has already let his thoughts be known, as he believes that Nunez could be in for a hostile reception and potentially a few tougher tackles from his previous teammates when they next square off.
Nunez’s move was one that did not go down well with the Canaries fan base, and that is despite the explanation from the Norwich City board, as they believed it was too good an offer to reject.
It is hard to believe that Chris Sutton would have ever contemplated a move from Norwich City to Ipswich Town in his lifetime; however, he has allowed us to fully understand what he thinks with his recent comments.
Chris Sutton believes that Norwich City may have gotten the last laugh
The Norwich City legend believes that the deal may be better for Norwich City rather than Ipswich Town and that the Canaries will have the last laugh on this deal.
Writing in the Pink Un, he said: “I understand why so many supporters have gotten hot under the collar with a player moving to their rivals, but to get £10m for someone in the last 10 months of their contract is exceptional business. It is the job of (Liam) Manning, Ben Knapper, Zoe Webber and the board to prioritise that.
“Nunez was an excellent player for Norwich, but he wasn’t a world beater. There were flashes of brilliance, and he is a creator of moments but was inconsistent. Nobody else would pay £10m for him. Let’s have it right.
“I’m not going to criticise the club in any way, shape or form for that. The £10m, regardless of where he ended up, whether at Ipswich or not, is good money. There has to be that understanding of where Norwich are at as a club and the model which they have. All they’ve done is straightforward business in that respect.”
Chris Sutton on Marcelino Nunez
The former Celtic ace believes that the decision from Nunez is his to make but questions whether the midfielder is naïve to the rivalry between Ipswich and Norwich.
Sutton understands that Nunez is not from East Anglia, with him being a Chilean international; however, he should understand local rivalries and the ferocity of them growing up within football.
He said in the Pink Un: “As for Nunez himself, he might not have that attachment like I or other Norwich fans have because we know what it would be like to make that move.
“I was brought up in and around Norwich; that’s where I grew up. He’s Chilean and has only had a reasonably brief time at Norwich. He may not feel it or may not think it’s a big deal.
“He’d be daft if he didn’t recognise that there’s always a strong passion with regard to the way that the fans feel towards the rivalry. But he would have looked at it from his point of view; it would have been about playing and the monetary aspect, and he would have felt it was worth the move. I’m not saying I agree with that, but it’s an individual decision.
“For someone who was brought up in Norfolk, it would be a huge decision to move to Ipswich. It would have had to be unbelievably extreme for me to move there. It simply wouldn’t have happened.”