The former Arsenal and Everton man had been the subject of discussions between Worthington and Addicks manager Alan Curbishley well before the end of the transfer window. With both clubs happy to agree a short loan deal for the 24-year-old, the player himself decided to wait until deadline day to see if there were any other offers. When Scottish giants Rangers, set to face the likes of Inter Milan and Porto in the Champions League, came in for him, Jeffers turned his back on Norwich and signed on at Ibrox until January.
While the move is the latest in a growing list of deals that have failed to come to fruition, fans can be encouraged by the calibre of player being linked to Carrow Road. Having narrowly missed out on Republic of Ireland international Clinton Morrison, Worthington was clearly unwilling to settle for second best and went after scouser Jeffers, who cost Arsenal £8million before his £2.6million move to the Valley last summer. Jeffers holds the dubious distinction of a 100% goalscoring record for England, getting on the score sheet in his only appearance, the 3-1 defeat to Australia in 2003.
The quality of potential attacking additions reflects the ability of the forwards already on the books at Norwich, who have surprised everyone by notching a meagre four league goals so far this term. Dean Ashton, who has scored three to add to his impressive start last season, may not be available for the televised clash with Plymouth Argyle in eight days time. The England under-21 hitman has suffered a hamstring strain and faces a race to be fit for what has now become a must win game after three successive defeats. Flying forward Darren Huckerby will definitely be missing after his foul-mouthed tirade at the referee during the defeat at Stoke earned him a two match ban.
In the meantime Worthington has vowed to continue trying to bring in players on short term loans in order to bolster his squad outside of the transfer window, as clubs from below the Premiership are still allowed to.