"It becomes a conversation" - Norwich City: Pundit makes claim on Borja Sainz, January transfer situation | OneFootball

Norwich will face serious pressure in the new year to keep the firing winger.

Carlton Palmer believes that Norwich City will need to have a serious conversation about selling Borja Sainz in January if a wild offer comes in.

The better the Spaniard plays, the more attention he is going to attract. In the absence of Josh Sargent up top, Sainz has hit fine form this season, leading the league in goals after 18 games.

He has netted four times in City's last two games, making him even more of a hot property as the January transfer window quickly approaches. The club are not planning on selling him, but that hasn't stopped the manager, Johannes Hoff Thorup, from admitting that he isn't looking forward to the new year because of the pressure they will face to keep the 23-year-old.

One Turkish report suggested, earlier in the week, that Sainz had agreed to join Galatasaray, who have been the main pursuers of the winger. Whether that is the case or not remains to be seen, but the Canaries' resolve will certainly be tested in a months' time.

Carlton Palmer on Norwich, Borja Sainz situation

Norwich are right to want to hold out and not sell Sainz, according to Palmer, but he believes that there will be a point, if an astronomical bid is made, that they have to consider parting ways with their star forward.

"Norwich City remain determined to keep Borja Sainz in the January transfer window despite Galatasaray reports," the former England international told Football League World. "Norwich sit ninth in the table on 25 points, only five points off the play-off places.

"They're currently coming off some really good results. They beat Luton [Town] 4-2 at home, they beat Plymouth [Argyle] 6-1, and they drew with West Brom[wich Albion] 2-2.

"They want to keep their best players, but, of course, at the end of the day, if a figure comes in that is too good for them to turn down, then it becomes a conversation that's going to be had (about whether to sell him)."

The club's owner, Mark Attanasio, stated last month that City don't need to sell Sainz.

Palmer continued: "At this moment in time, they're keen to keep him. Galatasaray are very keen on the player. The noise that are coming out saying that he has agreed to leave the Canaries in January is well wide of the reports that are out there.

"He's got 18 months left on his contract, so it's going to take a serious amount of money (to get him). Norwich are looking for €22 million, if they're going to sell him; that's the noise that is coming out of Carrow Road at the moment. That should be enough to frighten off suitors.

"Norwich have come out and said that they don't need to let Borja go in January, we don't need to sell him ever. So they're controlling the situation, they want to keep hold of him, and so they should. They want to ge into the play-offs, and we will wait and see. There is no panic from Norwich's side on this."