"Catastrophic" - Chris Sutton urges Norwich City to take Josh Sargent action amid MLS interest | OneFootball

Josh Sargent has been linked with a move to MLS this summer

Key Takeaways

Chris Sutton has urged Norwich City to keep hold of MLS target Josh Sargent and claimed it would be unfair to Johannes Hoff Thorup if the Canaries cashed in.

It was reported earlier this month by Give Me Sport that FC Cincinnati had made an offer for the forward worth around $20 (£15.1) million, which was turned down.

Sargent is a key figure for the Canaries, having already bagged two goals from their opening three games of the new campaign (all stats from Fbref).

Despite injury issues last year keeping him out of action for multiple months, he scored 16 from 26 regular league games to become the team’s top scorer in the Championship.

But it is believed that an asking price of $25 (£18.9) million has been set by the Norfolk outfit as we approach the end of the transfer window.

Chris Sutton makes Josh Sargent transfer claim

Sutton has urged Norwich to turn down interest from MLS for Sargent, suggesting it would be unfair to Thorup to sell another important part of the team.

He believes that it would be impossible for the club to replace him, which could cause supporters to lose hope for the campaign ahead.

“It's been really difficult for Johannes Hoff Thorup to lose Gabriel Sara and Jonathan Rowe, plus Abu Kamara whacking in a transfer request - but the one thing they cannot afford to let happen in the final hours of the window is for Sargent to be sold,” wrote Sutton, via Pink Un.

“There comes a time when clubs have an obligation to season ticket holders and supporters; to lose Sargent, no matter how much money is put on the table, would be catastrophic for Norwich.

“Supporters need hope and optimism - if they lost the striker it would shatter that.

“Put simply, Norwich cannot replace him.

“They are going to be so reliant on his goals and ability to lead the line, it wouldn't be fair on Thorup, the fans or the squad to lose Sargent after the talent that has exited the building over the transfer window.

“There's already been a lot of turmoil - that would be compounded if he was permitted to waltz out of the door.”

Norwich City’s 2024 summer transfer activity

Adam Idah, Jonathan Rowe and Gabriel Sara have all been sold in big-money moves already this summer.

Sara and Rowe were particularly important players last year, contributing a combined 25 goals and 14 assists as the team came sixth in the table.

Norwich have made signings of their own, including Ante Crnac, Amankwah Forson, José Córdoba, Oscar Schwartau, and Ben Chrisene, with Callum Doyle also arriving on loan from Manchester City.

The Canaries have until Friday evening at 11pm to finalise any remaining deals before the window closes for the rest of the calendar year.

Sargent sale would not go down well with Norwich supporters

Losing Sargent on top of Rowe and Sara would be a huge blow to Thorup’s side, and would be a step too far for most supporters.

If the Canaries are going to challenge for a top six spot again this year then they will need someone like Sargen that is capable of scoring consistently.

It has already been a difficult start to the campaign, failing to win any of their first three games.

So losing Sargent on top of that would be a really difficult pill for fans to swallow, and they would likely voice their concerns to the club if that came to fruition.