Norwich City transfers: Jose Cordoba praised by team-mate

The Canaries still have work to do on a deal to secure Panamanian international Jose Cordoba, but hope to add him to their ranks ahead of the 2024-25 season.

He would become City's first signing of the summer in a crucial area of their squad, and the 22-year-old's Levski Sofia team-mate Kellian van der Kaap believes he'd be a shrewd one for any club.

"His potential has already taken him this far and he’s still getting better," said van der Kaap of Cordoba.  "When you see his journey you have to ask: ‘Where is his limit?’ I think there’s no limit for Jose.

"He was in Spain for only a short time but it was during Covid, so I don’t think you need to worry too much about his time there. After that, he probably had better offers for more money but he saw the bigger picture and came to Bulgaria because he wanted to play.

"He had setbacks in his career but he has continued fighting to get where he wants to be. I’ve seen Jose grow for the last two and a half years.

"I saw him grow every month, every game where he improved a lot. So I’ll ask it again, ‘where is his limit?’ I really don’t know."

Not only does Cordoba have the raw materials to succeed, but van der Kaap says he's gained the experience to thrive in a physically demanding league.

"Jose’s a very talented player," he continued, speaking to the Daily Record. He’s a modern centre-back — fast, good height, good speed, comfortable with the ball, and he’s left-footed, which is not so easy to find at centre-back. He has all the requirements to go to the next level.

“The intensity is high here. I’m from the Netherlands and I’m sure you’ll be familiar with the style of football we play back home.

“So when I came here to Sofia it was like, ‘OK, this is a bit different!’ I think I’m physically strong but the football here requires something else.

"In terms of that intensity of the football, you can learn a lot playing here and it’s definitely something Jose can take with him."