Norwich City fans will be furious with the explanation of the controversial Marcelino Nunez transfer to Ipswich Town

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Norwich City have controversially decided to sell their former star Marcelino Nunez to bitter rivals Ipswich Town this summer.

Fans never enjoy seeing their best or favourite players depart a club; however, they are even less receptive when that individual departs for a rival.

Ipswich Town have signed Norwich City’s Marcelino Nunez ahead of the transfer deadline, which will have angered the Carrow Road faithful.

It is not the only deal that Ipswich Town have completed in the days just before the transfer deadline, as they have signed Ivan Azon on loan from Como and Darnell Furlong from West Brom.

However, these three signings don’t seem to indicate that they are done in the transfer market, with more players expected to come in the door before 7pm on September 1.

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Ben Knapper explains controversial Marcelino Nunez sale

Since the news of the sale for Nunez to join Ipswich from Norwich, there has been anger within the Canaries fan base.

The Norwich City sporting director, Ben Knapper, has explained the decision to sell the Chilean for £7.2m plus another £2.5m in achievable add-ons, as the player entered the final 10 months of his contract through club channels.

He said: “It goes without saying, this is a significant transfer for all parties involved. We absolutely understand the feeling and sentiment from our supporters at this time, and this was, of course, an extremely difficult decision for us to take.

“As with every transfer, there are many factors that we must consider, including the wishes of the player, their contractual position, team performance and, of course, the offer itself. Ultimately, when considering all of those aspects, we firmly believe that this is in the best interests of our club.

“We are committed to making what we feel are the best possible decisions for our football club, assessing all factors in the round, in both the short, medium and long term. Of the possible scenarios and outcomes that this situation has presented, we believe this is the one that leaves the club in the best position.”

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Players to have played for both Norwich City and Ipswich Town

While it is arguably one of the fiercest rivalries in England, several players have crossed the divide, and the decision of Nunez to leave Norwich for Ipswich is nothing special.

Recent examples of players to have represented both East Anglian clubs are Brandon Williams and Ben Godfrey; however, neither of those examples opted to move directly from one to the other.

Liam Gibbs is an example of a player who went directly from Ipswich to Norwich City, with the Tractor Boys stuck in League One, the young midfielder rejected a new deal in the summer of 2021 to join Norwich, then a Premier League side, for a six-figure compensation fee.

Meanwhile, the clubs have previously come to an agreement to trade players in 1986 when Trevor Putney joined Norwich while John Deehan went the other way to Ipswich.