Former Derby County winger set for transfer to Championship rivals after Aston Villa decision

Norwich City are in pole position to sign Lewis Dobbin on loan for the rest of the season after Aston Villa decided to recall the former Derby County winger from a disappointing spell at West Brom.

Dobbin has made just one start for the Baggies this season after joining the Championship side on a season-long deal in the summer. The rest of his appearances have come from the substitutes’ bench prompting Villa to recall him with the Canaries now said to be favourites for his signature.

Dobbin landed a £10m move to Villa in the summer after leaving Everton with the club eager to see him develop in the Championship. But he did not make a lasting impression at the Baggies in the first half of the campaign and has yet to score this season.

Dobbin enjoyed a decent loan spell with Derby in their first season in League One in which he scored five goals as the Rams missed out on the playoffs.

After scoring his first goal in a win over Morecambe, head coach Paul Warne said: “All the players make mistakes and I’ve got no issue with that, but it’s all about being brave enough to keep doing things and that’s what Dobbs did.”

“He did some things outstanding, some things good and some things poor, which was the same with all the players. But it was a good header. I’m being nice if I say headers are not among the best of his attributes but for him to score his first league goal like that and for it to be the winner is a great feeling for the kid.”

After Dobbin saw his loan move at Derby end, he returned to Everton at the end of that campaign and scored his first Premier League goal in a 2-0 win over Chelsea in the following season.

Villa decided to sign the 21-year-old this summer, but he has yet to play in a first-team game under Unai Emery with the Canaries now in pole position to clinch his signature.

What was your favourite Dobbin moment? Have your say HERE

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