Norwich City praised after £20m Josh Sargent transfer development | OneFootball

Josh Sargent is set to join Toronto FC from Norwich City after the clubs agreed a fee potentially worth over £20m.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Toronto FC are set to sign Josh Sargent from Norwich City after the two clubs agreed a deal in excess of £20m.

The USA international joined the Canaries in 2021, and, after a tough first year in the Premier League, he was a prolific scorer for the club at Championship level.

However, he soured his reputation with the supporters after refusing to play in the FA Cup tie against Walsall last month, and boss Philippe Clement then froze Sargent out, whilst the player also had a row with sporting director Ben Knapper after Toronto’s initial offer was rejected.

Norwich City praised for Josh Sargent transfer fee as he departs Carrow Road

The stand-off between player and club was no good for either party, and Toronto’s continued interest in Sargent meant a deal always looked likely.

A breakthrough was made this week, with the MLS side set to pay an initial £15.5m for the 26-year-old, but add-ons could see that price rise by a further £5m.

So, it will be a big sale for Norwich, and whilst the transfer window is shut in England, the form of Mo Toure since his arrival suggests the Norfolk outfit will be able to cope over the next few months as they look to secure their safety in the second tier.

It will be a relief for all involved that Sargent’s future is now sorted, and when quizzed by FLW about whether this was a good deal for the club, Norwich fan pundit Zeke Downes was pleased with the fee they received, as he backed them to put that money to good use in the summer.

Norwich City can look to a bright future under Philippe Clement

Firstly, it should be said that Sargent’s behaviour to force this move was unacceptable, and it will ruin his reputation among the supporters. Even if you are desperate to leave, there are ways to act, and refusing to play will never be justified.

To their credit, Norwich were firm with the player, by not involving him with the first-team, and they also stood firm to get a good fee.

This looks a fair deal for all parties, because we shouldn’t forget that Sargent was a very good player for Norwich over the years, so you would expect him to flourish with Toronto FC.

Ultimately, it’s very difficult to keep an individual who doesn’t want to be at a club, and Norwich have now boosted their budget ahead of the summer window.

The recent recruitment by the Canaries has been extremely impressive, with Makama and Toure rightly earning specific praise.

When you combine that with Clement’s ability to improve individuals, and to get results, there’s a lot of reason to be excited for Norwich in the long-term, even if they still have some work to do to stay up this season.