Johannes Hoff Thorup is prepared to wait for Norwich City to secure their number one transfer priority - a new left back.

The countdown is underway to the Championship kick-off in a month, but ahead of Saturday’s opening pre-season friendly at Northampton the Canaries do not have a senior specialist left back on the books.

Dimi Giannoulis and Sam McCallum departed at the end of last season, and both the Dane and sporting director Ben Knapper admitted at Monday night’s fan forum that is now the main thrust of their close season signing activity.

Thorup’s old FC Nordsjælland left back, Martin Frese, is available on a free transfer, but City are working on other options with the 26-year-old weighing up offers from across Europe.

“Looking a little bit into the future for this club the ambition should be that we have a very, very great team and we can support that with two to three top players in every window,” said the Norwich head coach.

“So we should never be in a situation with a window where the turnover is too big, and we have to bring in too many new players and say goodbye to too many players. No, we should have that solid base in the team where we can add something top quality from outside.

“Of course maybe we need one two or three players more than that, I don't know, we have to find out but definitely we need a left back, but what is important is that a guy that we bring in should have the qualities, and then I prefer that we take our time and we find the right one instead of things that just go fast.

"We have a great recruitment department that's working 24 hours a day to find potential targets for us. But for me, as a coach, it's more important to spend time with the players that I can affect here now. And then of course, we always have to be there. We always have to be in the market if something is important for us.

"Everyone can see at the moment, we need maybe a left back, that's what we will look for. The recruitment department is working night and day to find them."

Thorup confirmed he will have an active role in the hunt for Andy Hughes’ replacement as set piece coach, after his move to Premier League Leicester City was announced on Monday.

“Most of the things that we do is what ‘we’ think, we should never hire anyone, or we should never buy any player, where it's only a one person decision. No, we have to find out together,” he said. “And we have to find some candidates. And we already started with that process.

"It's an important role for us. And it will be an important role also in the future.

“So again, like with the players, it's important, we bring in the right guy, and rather spend one day extra finding that right guy, instead of just bringing a new coach. But it is an important role.”