When Jed Steer signed with Aston Villa this summer, his contract at Norwich City was up. Nevertheless, because Steer was under 24 years old, Norwich City were still able to request compensation for his departure. And request they did, as we found out in June that they would be seeking a considerable amount of money. A little more than a half year later, we now know how much money that is. Norwich city will receive £450,000 regardless of what happens, and are entitled to up to £725,000 more depending on appearances. There is a tiered structure to the deal, decided by a tribunal of the Professional Compensation Committee, with £500,000 being the first to kick in, followed by £225,000. Additionally, Norwich will be entitled to a 20% sell-on fee if Steer is ever sold by Aston Villa.
By itself, none of this money should matter too much. The interesting part is what it does to the dynamic between the two clubs, which was already a bit tense. Both teams put out releases saying that they were happy with the decision. But does this really settle things between the two? Will Villa be able to complete a move for midfielder Wes Hoolahan now? Probably not. Given what Norwich were saying back in June, I doubt this money will appease them, and tensions will likely remain high.
Maybe it's time for Paul Lambert to start looking for other teams to raid. After all, we're starting to become the Tottenham to Norwich's Aston Villa.