Norwich City ace Josh Sargent likely to be major target

By Guy Branston- Former EFL defender, football consultant and agent

If you want to know how good Josh Sargent is, look at Norwich City’s results. When he plays, they’re a top-six team. When he doesn’t, they’re bottom half.

Sometimes, that sort of data can be misleading. All sorts of factors determine whether a team performs, and it’s rarely down to one player.

Not in this case, however. It’s there in the numbers, and it’s obvious when you watch Norwich play. The American striker makes a dramatic difference.

When he’s fit and starting games, Norwich play with the sort of aggression and assertiveness you’d expect from a team of their stature. It’s not just the goals he scores either – it’s the impact he has on everyone else by running channels and occupying defenders.

Look at Borja Sainz. Ahead of the weekend, the Championship’s top scorer had so far struck 14 goals in 22 games playing alongside Sargent, compared to just four in 14 when the striker was out injured over the winter.

For Norwich as a football club, this stuff should be a red flag. There’s more than enough quality in the building to perform without Sargent, so why aren’t they doing it? If I’m the owner or the sporting director, I want to know why.

Premier League Level

But from Sargent’s perspective, it’s a very strong indication he should be playing at a higher level than the Championship.

From a scouting viewpoint, I think he’s good enough. Norwich signed him from Werder Bremen when they were a Premier League club in 2021, and he showed glimpses of his ability that season, despite being 21 and often playing out of position.

It hasn’t hurt him at all to drop into the Championship, score goals and develop his game, and I think you’re now seeing a much more complete player.

He’s the classic modern forward in lots of ways. He can play in a three, play in a two, play off a big man or be the big man himself. He’s strong, he’s quick, he’s decent on the ball and scores all different types of goals. Pre-weekend, he’d bagged 13 in 25 league games this season.

He offers a coach or manager tactical fluidity, and that’s the sort of thing that all Premier League clubs want these days.

In an ideal world, the 25-year-old would win promotion with Norwich and find his feet in a familiar environment. Unfortunately for both of them, that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.

Versatility

And if it doesn’t, I think he’ll be high on the list for any Premier League club with a forward position to fill, or who needs someone with versatility to provide depth.

To me, he’s a Brighton signing. He’s a Brentford signing.

He’s a Leicester City signing if they were to stay up, and I’m sure the promoted teams will all make enquiries. Nottingham Forest have been strongly linked in recent weeks.

It won’t be cheap. Sargent is under contract until 2028, and still relatively young. But I don’t think we’re talking Ollie Watkins money.

Only the very best go in that £25m-£30m bracket and I personally don’t think he has the big numbers, the development potential or the fitness record to warrant that.

For me, there’s a deal to be done around the £15m-£20m mark, plus all the add-ons and extras related to performance targets.

At the end of the day, Norwich paid about £8m to sign him from Bremen.

If they can double their investment or even get a bit more then that’s massive for any Championship club and it’s money that can be reinvested into making them a better allround team.