Norwich Signs Former Tottenham Midfielder Alex Pritchard

Tottenham have sold Alex Pritchard to Norwich City for an undisclosed fee.

After showing interest in the eleventh hour, Norwich City have successfully signed former Tottenham attacking midfielder, Alex Pritchard, according to the Enfield Independent.

Pritchard is now the third player to leave Tottenham this following the exits of Grant Ward (permanently to Ipswich Town) and Federico Fazio (season-long loan to AS Roma).

The 23-year-old academy graduate was close to joining Brighton & Hove Albion for a reported £8 million fee before Pritchard’s medical on Tuesday night was delayed because the Canaries got involved.

Related Story: Tottenham and Brighton Deal Hijacked by Norwich

Moments after putting pen to paper, the newly acquired midfielder talked about coming to Carrow Road and proving himself after last season’s injury-laden campaign.

“I’m ready to come here, fight for my place and hopefully play well,” Alex Pritchard said on Norwich’s website.

“I feel I need to go out and prove myself again in football. I’m 23 now so it’s about time I had my own path really.”

“I’ve had a full pre-season and with our first game at the weekend I’m looking forward to hopefully bedding myself in quickly.”

Canaries’ manager, Alex Neil, talked about Pritchard and what this signing means for his club: “Alex is an exciting player who is capable of both scoring and creating goals.”

“He is proven at this level having excelled at Brentford two seasons ago, and adds to our attacking options. I’m really looking forward to working with him on a day-to-day basis.”

More from Hotspur HQ

• Storybook ending after difficult period for Tottenahm’s Richarlison
• Tottenham comeback showcased invaluable intangible Ange has cultivated
• Tottenham player ratings in 2-1 comeback win over Sheffield United
• Tottenham projected starting 11 for Sheffield United
• Tottenham’s Richarlison says he’s going to seek psychological help

From the Enfield Independent, Norwich City didn’t disclose the fee that they paid to Tottenham following today’s transaction.

Not that it really matters at this point, but if Brighton were offering £8 million, which was the value that Daniel Levy had placed on Pritchard, then it’s to be expected that the Canaries paid around that much.

Or, maybe they paid just a bit more and they didn’t want to share that information.

Either way, Daniel Levy has managed to receive a hefty sum for a player that wasn’t able to do much with Tottenham in his final year with the club, making one league appearance during Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure.

With many club’s not willing to pay Spurs’ valuation for a player who had only one good season two years ago with Brentford in the Championship, it’s anyone’s guess as to why Norwich — despite receiving parachute payments from the Premier League — would still pay about £8 million (or more) when they have a legitimate reason to pay less.

That’s not to say that Alex Pritchard isn’t good anymore, he’s still only 23-years-old and managed to score 12 goals and tally seven assists in 47 appearances during the 2014-15 season with the Bees, but it remains to be seen if he can recover his previous form that made him an exciting prospect and, at the time, a sure-fire heir apparent to Christian Eriksen.

Next: Five Things to Watch for in Tottenham v Inter

By signing with Norwich City, Alex Pritchard (should he regain his form from two years ago) can help the Canaries make their way back into the Premier League after just one season.

After all, the 23-year-old has already succeeded at the Championship level. Pritchard might no longer be a Tottenham player, but there’s no reason why we as fans can’t wish the former Spurs academy graduate good luck in his future endeavors.