The Leeds United-Norwich City transfer deal was a complete bust; he only played 16 games.

The Leeds United-Norwich City transfer deal was a complete bust; he only played 16 games.

Leeds United’s top players were frequently acquired by Norwich City in the early 2010s, with the Premier League’s

allure being sufficient to entice them to relocate to Carrow Road.

Notable figures Bradley Johnson, Jonny Howson, and Robert Snodgrass all made the move from Elland Road to

Carrow Road and had successful stints at Norwich, but Luciano Becchio was not among them.

Although many Leeds supporters view the team’s time in the Championship’s mid-table and even League One as

disastrous, it made room for the rise of an unknown Argentinean forward named Becchio, who became something of

a cult hero in West Yorkshire after scoring in the double digits in each of his four full seasons there and playing a key

role in the team that was promoted out of the third division in 2010.

A Premier League debut was long overdue for the then-29-year-old, who had scored 20 goals in just 26

Championship games by the middle of the 2012–13 campaign.

He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Norwich City, but he did not contribute, and his tenure at the

Canaries was, at best, forgettable.

Luciano Becchio’s little impact at Norwich City

After finishing the 2012–13 Premier League season with the third-worst goal return through 24 games, Norwich City

looked to Leeds United to once again sign one of their best players.

Free-scoring Steve Morison left, and Luciano Becchio, who had previously scored 20 goals for the Whites in all

competitions that season, signed a three-and-a-half-year contract.

Although Morison’s tenure at Leeds was remarkably lacklustre, it was nothing in comparison to Becchio’s relatively

insignificant influence at Carrow Road.

With just two starts in his first three games, Becchio was never given much of an opportunity to establish himself in

the Premier League. He was thereafter relegated to an unutilised replacement and, if he did play, made brief

appearances lasting five to ten minutes.

During the Canaries’ Premier League season, which concluded in relegation, the Argentinean was used as a

replacement 19 times and again failed to start a single game, including in domestic cup competitions. He spent the

following season in Norwich.

Becchio joined Rotherham United on loan for the 2014–15 season, and although he scored twice in his five games for

the Millers, his loan was terminated due to an ankle injury.

Even though Becchio had one year left on his contract, Norwich and he decided to mutually terminate it in 2015. This

meant that he had only made 16 appearances for the team and had not scored a goal.

Becchio’s departure from Elland Road was contributed in part by a falling out between him and the then-manager

Neil Warnock, but many will be wondering what would have happened if he hadn’t made the move to Norwich, as

the Argentinian never really got back to his best following the move.

Before announcing his retirement in 2023, Becchio played a few more games for teams like Athletico Baleares,

Belgrano, and Rotherham once more.

The striker’s desire to try his hand at the Premier League for the first time in his career at the age of 29 was

understandable, but it turned out to be a disastrous decision for him and a waste of money for Norwich City.

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