It has been an eventful couple of years for fans of Norwich City, with their club suffering either promotion or relegation for every one of their past three seasons.

An immediate return to the Championship was confirmed in May, just 12 months after their play-off final victory over Middlesbrough at Wembley.

It is clear to see from this that the Canaries have had a side in recent years that has been extremely competitive in the Championship, but not at the level required to be successful in the Premier League.

If Alex Neil is to be successful for the long term at Carrow Road, then this is something he needs to address.

There may well be a change in approach for Norwich over the summer, and players who have played a prominent role in the past two relegations may be moved on, so the club can move forward should they once again achieve promotion from the Championship over the next few years.

With this in mind, FLW's Tom Percival looks at FOUR players that Norwich may move on over the summer so the football club can progress....

 

John Ruddy

The goalkeeper has been a fabulous servant for Norwich City for a number of years, but some fans are starting to believe it is time for a change in their number 1.

Since Ruddy arrived at Carrow Road in 2010, he has made 208 appearances for the Canaries, but his performances have declined in recent months, and is certainly an area in which Norwich could strengthen.

Ruddy lost his place to deputy Declan Rudd for a spell during the last Premier League season, which indicates that Alex Neil doesn't have complete faith in the man who has been capped once by England.

If Norwich could bring in an experienced Championship goalkeeper such as Keiren Westwood, it would help them progress not only as a Championship club, but also as a potential Premier League club in the future.

Ricky Van Wolfswinkel

The club record signing was an experiment that ultimately failed, and Alex Neil will hope he can offload 'The Wolf' as quickly as possible.

His move from Sporting CP in 2013 was supposed to signify Norwich's growth into a stable Premier League club, but his contribution of  just 1 Premier League goal meant that the Canaries were relegated in May 2014. 2 loan spells have followed at St Etienne and Real Betis, signifying his lack of a future in East Anglia.

By moving on Van Wolfswinkel on a permanent basis, the club can move past the failed experiment and reinvest whatever fee they receive on a striker who is more likely to be consistently successful for the football club.

Sebastien Bassong

Bassong is another player that has become associated with relegation, not just at Norwich but in his career as a whole. His 2 relegations with the Canaries add to a rather miserable CV of relegations throughout his career, at former clubs such as Newcastle, Metz and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Bassong had a disappointing campaign on a personal level too, making costly mistakes such as the one against Manchester United that costed his team valuable points throughout the season.

At 29, Bassong isn't going to get any better, so Neil may look to bring in a younger replacement to create a long term partnership alongside the impressive Timm Klose should he stay around.

If Norwich are going to move forward not just for the upcoming Championship season, but looking further beyond that, it is perhaps time to move on the likes of Sebastian Bassong and start fresh.

Youssouf Mulumbu

Mulumbu arrived at Carrow Road last summer with real Premier League pedigree, having spent 6 and a half seasons at West Bromwich Albion, but the move has never really worked out.

He has struggled to get into a relegated side, making just 7 appearances, and doesn't seem to be the player he once was at West Brom.

Although there could be the argument that he is worth keeping due to his experience, Norwich have plenty of players who know the Championship well. The likes of Russell Martin, Cameron Jerome and Graham Dorrans have had continued success at Championship level, so Mulumbu is not exclusive in this department.

On top of this, with the Premier League wages he will be picking up, Norwich would be better off reinvesting this elsewhere and subsequently moving forward as a football club.