When you think of yo-yo clubs in English football, the most recent ones that come to mind are Rotherham United, who have bounced consistently over the last few years between the Championship and League One, and back in the 2000's West Bromwich Albion were a club that were involved in various promotions and relegations from the second tier and the Premier League.

But another club that could be thrown into the mix is Norwich City, who have mastered the art of being promoted to the Premier League and then immediately falling through the trap door.

The Canaries were champions of the Championship in 2019, only to finish bottom of the Premier League in 2020, with the exact same two scenarios happening again in 2021 and then 2022, leaving them back in the Championship for 2022-23.

It's safe to say though that the Norfolk outfit will not be winning the title this season though as they currently trail league leaders Burnley by 24 points, and as they currently sit in ninth position on 45 points, there will not be full confidence that the club will even make the play-offs.

The majority of last season's squad still at the club and are now working under new head coach David Wagner, who recently replaced Dean Smith in the dugout, and one player who has been a stalwart since the 2018-19 Championship-winning season is Max Aarons.

 

 

 

 

Aarons was thrust into the first-team squad as 18-year-old that year, making his debut in the EFL Cup in August and then his league bow in the East Anglian Derby against Ipswich Town - some fixture to play your first ever Championship match in - and ever since he has been pretty much an ever-present at right-back.

Since his emergence, Aarons has played two full Premier League seasons in which he has missed just six matches, and his performances for Norwich - as well as his 18 caps for England under-21's - have attracted attention from other clubs in the past.

Luminaries such as Manchester United, Arsenal and even Barcelona have in the past couple of years been linked with Aarons - United's interest came as recently as October whilst Barcelona were thought to have agreed terms with the defender, only for Norwich to reject an initial loan deal in 2020.

Yet Aarons still remains a Norwich player to this day - in Dean Smith's system he did not have much influence but there have already been signs under Wagner that his spark is coming back, having notched two assists against Preston North End last month in a 4-0 victory at Deepdale.

Norwich have an issue though - Aarons' contract expires in the summer of 2024 and if they do not get promoted this season, then they are going to need to raise funds for fresh additions for the 2023-24 season.

With multiple top clubs being linked to him in 2022, Aarons would be the first candidate you'd put forward to depart Carrow Road, and if he did get a move to a team that is playing in European football, then it would be a deserved switch for his years of consistent and dedicated performances.

Should Norwich not make the top flight this year, and their odds don't look great to do so at this moment in time, then he should be allowed to move on in a transfer that would benefit all parties.