Norwich City boss Neil Adams confirms ball is now in Ricky van Wolfswinkel’s court over proposed St Etienne loan move

Norwich City striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel has joined St Etienne on loan with a view to a permanent move. Picture by Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd ©Focus Images Limited www.focus-images.co.uk +447814 482222

Norwich City boss Neil Adams insists he would welcome Ricky van Wolfswinkel back into his squad if the Dutch international rejects a loan move to French Ligue One club St Etienne.

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Adams confirmed following Friday’s 2-2 pre-season finale against Celta Vigo at Carrow Road the 25-year-old striker was in France for talks and a medical over a proposed season-long switch.

The Canaries’ boss would not be drawn on reports from across the English Channel that the Greens have negotiated a potential £4.75m buy-out clause as part of the deal.

“I can’t confirm he is on the move. What I can say is he is in talks with Saint Etienne and he has gone over to France for a medical. If it happens, it happens,” said Adams, who also revealed free agent Gary O’Neil has trained twice with the squad this week ahead of concluding a potential deal next week. “There are many parts to these deals and anything over and above that is not really for me to speak about but for the board. I have said many, many times I am not looking to offload players and he is more than welcome to come back here if that is his decision.

“I don’t want to lose players. He is a great lad and he has never been a problem to deal with. He has been an excellent professional and if it wasn’t to happen then he would come back into our squad. If it becomes concrete then we’ll deal with that. It is in his hands.”

City missed out on Coventry striker Callum Wilson earlier this summer but Adams is not looking at a potential reunion with Wigan outcast Grant Holt.

“I get on really well with Grant,” he said. “He was a fantastic player here but I have brought two strikers in and I am happy with the squad I have got. You don’t say no to any player. You could ask me about any player and we all know that in football you don’t know what is going to happen. That is nothing we have looked at.”

Adams was equally bullish over the futures of midfield duo Leroy Fer and Alex Tettey. Fer continues to be tracked by QPR boss Harry Redknapp, with Tettey revealing earlier in the week to Norwegian media City had turned down an enquiry from a Premier League suitor.

“Some of the rumours baffle me at times. I know there is elements of truth in a lot of them otherwise they wouldn’t be out there but others are maybe agents trying to tout the players,” he said. “That is something I am learning and it gets frustrating because I have to answer the questions. A lot of the time there is nothing in it. All I can say is I want to keep both players.”