Ali Ahmed has signed for Norwich City from the Vancouver Whitecaps for an undisclosed fee, putting pen to paper on a three-and-a-half-year deal with an option for an additional season.
The Canaries currently sit third-bottom in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, occupying one of the three relegation spots.
“When I heard about this opportunity, I was very excited,” Ahmed said in a club statement. “Speaking with the people here was very influential in my decision. That was big for me, especially with a coach like Philippe (Clément); he has a track record that speaks for itself. He’s got the best out of players, and I think he’ll be major for me. Norwich is a massive, massive club, so I’m just excited to be a part of this group.”
Norwich City sporting director Ben Knapper said in the press release that Ahmed’s attacking threat “was clear for all to see.”
“He comes off the back of an impressive season with Vancouver […] He also has some great experience at international level too, where he has established himself as an important player for Canada. He will add pace and threat in wide areas for us, and he still has a lot of potential for further development and growth in his game.”
Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Alex Schuster added that after “several” European clubs expressed interest in Ahmed last summer, the player made it clear he wanted a new experience outside of MLS, and that a contract extension would not be possible. “We had to act in order to secure a transfer fee that would give us the flexibility to invest in the squad as we build for 2026 and beyond,” Schuster said.
Ahmed joined the Whitecaps FC Development Squad in March 2021, signed his first professional contract with Whitecaps FC 2 in MLS NEXT Pro a year later, and earned a first-team deal in November 2022. He went on to make 102 appearances across all competitions, scoring eight goals and recording 16 assists.
He won three consecutive Canadian Championship titles in 2023, 2024, and 2025, earning the George Gross Memorial Trophy as the tournament’s best player in the most recent edition.
His time in Vancouver also saw him make his Canadian men’s national team debut in June 2023 during the Concacaf Gold Cup, and he has since earned 22 international caps.
