Norwich City: "Impossible" claim made on Josh Sargent joining West Ham | OneFootball

The USMNT international has been heavily linked with a potential exit from Carrow Road

Norwich City have been backed to hand Premier League side West Ham United a major blow in the upcoming transfer window, as the East London club remain heavily linked with a potential swoop for the Canaries' prized asset and USMNT international striker, Josh Sargent.

The Canaries have endured an extremely frustrating first half of the Championship campaign this season, with the Norfolk side currently positioned in 23rd place heading into Christmas Day, having taken just 18 points from their opening 22 matches.

Indeed, the side who have so often been a force at second tier level within the past decade have only been kept off the foot of the table due to an overall 18-point deduction which had been served by the EFL to the division's current crisis club, Sheffield Wednesday.

A recent change of head coach has also seen Philippe Clement - previously of Club Brugge, AS Monaco and Rangers - take charge at Carrow Road following a disastrous three-month period under his predecessor and hometown boss, Liam Manning, who was only able to oversee a solitary transfer window in charge of the Yellows.

As such, Clement is now gearing up for what will be a crucial transfer window and his first in Norfolk, as the Belgian will hope to make the changes he feels are necessary in order for Norwich to avoid a potential first relegation back into League One since the 2009/10 season - a campaign which sparked back-to-back promotions under Paul Lambert.

It has surprised many that City have been able to resist a plethora of transfer offers for Sargent in recent times, with the American developing a reputation for being one of the Championship's most potent strikers despite a handful of injury setbacks.

And, in a development which would certainly offer encouragement to those at Carrow Road, they could do just that once again in the upcoming weeks, despite their perilous position in the standings.

Norwich City backed to resist West Ham transfer interest in Josh Sargent amid £20m valuation claim

Sargent has become a firm favourite with Norwich supporters despite their recent regression in the pyramid, eventually becoming a Championship hotshot after initially struggling to adapt to life in the Premier League at just 21 years of age following an £8m switch from Bundesliga side, Werder Bremen, in the summer of 2021.

The man from O'Fallon, Missouri, has hit double figures in all the past three full Championship campaigns, which included the 2023/24 season when Norwich reached the play-offs under David Wagner, despite the fact Sargent was absent for a large proportion of the campaign due to injury and fitness-related issues.

After scoring 15 times in 32 league appearances for the Canaries last term despite a disappointing 13th-place finish for his side, Sargent, once again, became the subject of intense transfer interest.

The closest he would come to a Carrow Road exit was when VfL Wolfsburg submitted an offer of €19m, which still fell short of Norwich's valuation for their star striker, who is under contract in East Anglia until the summer of 2028.

The 29-cap international then reaffirmed his commitment to City's cause despite a dismal start to the campaign, although he has still netted six times in 20 matches thus far.

It has been revealed in recent days, though, that alongside his USMNT teammate and Coventry City forward, Haji Wright, Sargent has emerged as a transfer target for West Ham, who are currently five points from safety in the Premier League relegation zone.

Nuno Espírito Santo has earmarked the 25-year-old as a potential addition to his striking department, as he is also set to lose Niclas Füllkrug to AC Milan on loan with an option-to-buy.

It has been widely reported that the Irons will have to part with £20m to secure his services, and that it is proving a stumbling block.

As such, former Manchester United chief scout, Mick Brown, via Football Insider, believes City could be handed a significant boost in this transfer saga.

“West Ham are looking for a new striker,” he said.

“But I know from people at the club, they want to solve their striker problem for £20million. That’s not going to happen, it’s impossible.

“They’ve been looking at Josh Sargent from Norwich and getting reports on him," Brown claimed.

“They like him, the reports have been positive, he’s strong and not afraid to put himself about.

“But from what I’m told, Norwich won’t let him go for £20million, they’re asking for more than that, they don’t want to lose him half way through the season in the position they’re in," he stated.

“If they are going to let him go, it will cost more than what West Ham want to pay.

“From West Ham’s point of view, if you can’t sign a forward from a struggling Norwich side within your budget, what players of the right quality are going to be available?

“The answer is not many, and that’s where they’re going to have a problem,” said Brown.

Josh Sargent's goals could fire Norwich City to Championship safety

If Norwich are to stand a chance of surviving in the Championship, retaining Sargent's services will be pivotal to those hopes.

Of course, the season hasn't panned out anywhere near as was planned six months ago, meaning City have to achieve short-term aims for the immediate future before looking to progress forward under Clement.

Green shoots of recovery have been evident in recent weeks, as well as the fact Sargent netted his first strike since August 30th in the recent 3-2 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road.

A potential return to the Premier League for any player is, understandably, a huge pull. However, the striker has shown no signs of being distracted by such transfer discourse, which is a huge plus point at this moment in time.