Birmingham City and Onel Hernandez: How Norwich City see the future of Blues' fan favourite

Onel Hernandez was very quickly scuttled his way into the affections of Birmingham City supporters. The Cuban, on loan from Norwich City via Middlesbrough, has been arguably the best signing of the January transfer window, impressing fans with his explosive speed and his ability to cut through Championship defences, seemingly at will.

There have already been calls for this season’s loan to be converted into a permanent transfer in the summer - and suggestions that exploratory conversations between Blues and the Canaries have already taken place. The 29-year-old would certainly be a welcome returnee to St Andrew’s but as ever the issue of finance will be a dominant factor.

We spoke to The Athletic’s Norwich City correspondent Michael Bailey to see how the Carrow Road outfit view Hernandez’s future.

Not really. To be honest I think he has had so much on in terms of the ones he has at his disposal right now, what the loan players are doing isn’t top of his mind because it’s just not relevant to this season. I would imagine there is part of him that would be open to seeing him at Norwich next year but even in the last Championship season Onel didn’t really play much of a role.

In that regards I would be surprised if he was involved next season because it feels that Norwich and Onel have both probably moved on to a degree. I think Norwich would have been open to selling him in the summer it’s just that those suitors didn’t come forward.

I would let Norwich fans themselves discuss how good they think the recruitment in the wing positions over the summer was. But there is quite a lot of competition. Norwich are reasonably well-stocked. Onel Hernandez was really the only winger of his type under Daniel Farke, the only true