Former Norwich City loan striker Sydney van Hooijdonk is training with first club NAC Breda after reportedly being frozen out of Bologna’s plans.
The 24-year-old was a January window signing for the Canaries from Serie A, but never made a start in 10 substitute appearances without scoring a goal, in a loan deal that did include a buy option.
Van Hooijdonk featured for just 123 minutes in a City shirt, with former head coach David Wagner relying on Josh Sargent and Ashley Barnes during an injury-hit finale to the Championship season.
Academy duo Liam Gibbs and Ken Aboh also got game time in attacking roles, with the forward, son of ex-Celtic and Netherlands striker Pierre, getting two late cameos from the bench in the play-off tussles against Leeds.
Now Voetbal International’s Joost Blaauwhof reports van Hooijdonk is surplus to requirements with Champions League newcomers Bologna.
The out-of-favour striker has one year left on his current deal with the Italians and was touted with Millwall earlier in the summer.
For now, van Hooijdonk is training with newly-promoted Breda, who are weighing up whether to include the forward in their plans.
The former City loanee did score 16 goals in 33 Eredivisie appearances for Heerenveen in the 2022/23 after moving to Serie A initially in July 2021.
Wagner made it clear van Hooijdonk lacked match fitness when he arrived in England, after limited game time at Bologna.
The Dutchman embarked on a programme which included a development run out in March against Reading.
“Big credit to Ben (Knapper) and his team that he was able to get this transfer over the line, because I know there was a lot of interest in Sydney,” said Wagner, after his deadline night move. “He’s a good age, he’s proven can score goals in the Netherlands. It didn’t work out for him in Italy, which can happen, and he has a chance to show what he’s capable of.
“Now we have to work with him. He has, for sure, to adapt to English football, to English tradition as well. But he’s a super, super smart guy. Very open-minded. And he knows how to score goals. He is a penalty box threat, good in the air but has good link up play as well and his technique is decent.
“Now he has to adapt, in terms of the physicality and the speed of the Championship. It’s up to us to make him into the player he can be.”
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