Norwich City will need to enjoy a near-perfect summer of recruitment to become a genuine Championship force, according to former full-back Danny Mills. Philippe Clement's impact has raised expectations and optimism heading into a summer geared towards strengthening their squad for a tilt at returning to the Premier League after five seasons in the second tier. The club has already begun their summer business, with defender Bruno Alves confirmed as their first signing, a deal viewed inside the club as the first step in reshaping Clement’s squad. Mills, who began his career at Carrow Road and went on to make more than 200 Premier League appearances for Leeds United, Manchester City, and Charlton, insists City cannot afford to be slow or wasteful in pursuing targets this summer. After a season that began with hope but quickly turned to dismay under Liam Manning’s ill-fated stint in charge, City turned to the experienced Clement to guide them to safety. His squad achieved that in remarkable fashion, averaging two points per game in 2026, bettered only by Southampton over that stretch. The question now is whether that uplift in form can be sustained next season, with Mills hopeful Norwich can emerge as promotion contenders in a division widely expected to be stronger with West Ham and Wolves among the challengers. Mills believes the contrast between the two tenures underlines the importance of timing and experience, with Clement’s squad reconnecting and overcoming persistent injury problems. The upturn in City’s fortunes was made all the more impressive by the adversity the club endured even under the Belgian, including a squad that had felt divided. Clement’s most important early achievements at Carrow Road have been reconnecting the squad and transforming a side that looked to be sinking towards League One into one many now hope will be among the contenders next term.