There were Norwich City connections from minute one for Famalicao midfielder Mirko Topic.
Novi Sad, the Serbian city in which he was born, is twinned with Norwich, a link notably and poetically marked by the Novi Sad friendship bridge that leads directly from the city centre to the Carrow Road march.
More than 24 years later, Topic is poised to complete an initial £3million move from Portugal to the Canaries, ticking off a recruitment priority held by Ben Knapper since the advent of his newly Liam Manning-led project. A deal has been agreed between the clubs and he’ll travel to Norfolk in the next 48 hours to complete a switch viewed again behind the Colney scenes as a coup.
The main source of excitement around the deal for City fans has also been present since his birth, this time even beforehand: his genes. Barely broken was news of interest in him by the time that every supporter in East Anglia seemingly knew of his height, a six-foot-three, robust defensive midfielder exactly what they’d hoped for since the departures of Oliver Skipp and Alex Tettey in a single summer in 2021.
Could Topic finally be City’s Alex Tettey replacement? (Image: PA)
Serbian football expert Kristijan Plazonja backed that perception up, telling EFL Analysis: “Mirko Topic is a defensive-minded six with excellent reading of the game. His high interception-to-tackle ratio reflects how well he anticipates danger. Physically, his long legs give him an edge in 1v1 duels, whether it’s trapping opponents or reaching balls others simply couldn’t.”
But physicality isn’t the only attribute that’s attracted Norwich to him. “On the ball, he stands out for his composure and press resistance,” added Plazonja. “He rarely looks rushed, and if no passing options are available, he’s confident enough to carry the ball and reshape the situation. He’s tidy in possession and offers real security in the build-up phase.
“While he’s a solid passer across the board, his long balls are arguably his standout quality, whether it’s diagonals, switches of play, or passes into stride, he delivers them with good timing, weight and communication.”
Those strengths were first evident coming through at Vojvodina, the club based in Novi Sad where he made his debut aged 18. He was only included in the matchday squad after suspensions ruled team-mates out of it, but there was no looking back for Topic.
The following season he played 17 league games, growing in stature as Serbian football rapidly woke up to his talent. By 2021 he was being linked with Manchester City and Sevilla. In interviews then he talked up his ultimate goal, one that spells good news for Norwich’s promotion push; the Premier League was his aim, and he wasn’t afraid to say it.
The Serbian was previously linked with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City (Image: PA)
In 2025 that’s still the target, as he affirmed when speaking to Mozzart Sport. “I would like to play in the Premier League one day, because for me it is football perfection, the hardest possible league and the highest level, and I believe that I will play there,” he said, now a Famalicao player.
That switch to western Europe came after exactly 100 league appearances for Vojvodina, his price less than £900,000. That looks a snip when considering that City could pay around four times as much.
In the announcement of that signing Topic described himself as “tactically disciplined and with good technical ability,” qualities that will serve him well under Manning. Not only does the City head coach pride himself on strategical flexibility, he also wants to lead a proactive team that’s good on the ball.
Liam Manning will hope that Topic brings both defensive and attacking benefits (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)
Throughout the summer, however, defending has been an imperative. That much was clear when Harry Darling and Jakov Medic both arrived at centre-back early in the window. It’s hoped that Topic brings both sides to his game, and believed that he’s capable of doing so.
But the Liga Portugal is very different to the Championship. Whether he’s got the ability or not, it will take a small amount of time to adjust. What’s clear is that Norwich won’t spend £3.5million simply on squad depth, so the impact of their new arrival is expected to be significant.
Whether it was destined from birth may largely be by the by, but it’ll certainly feel like it was if he helps City to the Premier League promotion he’s always dreamed of.
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