Paul Lambert's team rebuilding took its first major steps forward yesterday when the Canaries boss paraded his first summer signing – and confirmed the first departures.

While James Vaughan gets used to new surroundings in Norfolk, out-of-contract trio Matt Gill and defenders Jens Berthel Askou and Sam Habergham have all been told they are free to look for new employers.

Lambert said that Aberdeen boss Craig Brown has made inquiries about two City players – almost certainly the want-away left-back Steven Smith and midfielder Stephen Hughes, who still has a year remaining on his contract.

Vaughan has signed on a three-year deal having left Everton for an undisclosed fee – Lambert getting his man at the second attempt after failing to work out a deal in January.

'We looked at it in January and we couldn't do it, so we just had to move on and we were fortunate enough to get a second chance at him,' said Lambert.

'I think the great thing about him is he has played at Premiership level before, he knows what it is all about, he is only 22 and hopefully his best years are in front of him.

'That is the beauty about him – he has done it at that level, he knows what it is, he just has to be consistent with it and find a club he is consistently happy at and be here a few years.

'Everton has been his life really since he was six, and only being 22 years of age he has come to a new place and new surroundings which will be great for him.'

Lambert has a shopping list of around seven players and wants them in place before the squad returns to training in early July. 'There are one or two on-going at the minute that we will try and do, but it is like everything, it is never easy,' he said.

The rumour mill has linked City with all shapes and sizes of players and while he managed to steer clear of the speculation concerning Millwall striker Steve Morison, word from the south London club was that City had been in for the 27-year-old for a second time.

'Our valuation and Norwich's are very different,' said Lions chief executive Andy Ambler yesterday.