Norwich City will be laughing to the bank at £20m windfall - Canaries have struck gold | OneFootball

Norwich sold Josh Sargent for £20m and signed Mohamed Toure for just £2.6 million in January

Norwich City look set for another year in the Championship, albeit the Canaries have been in automatic promotion form since Philippe Clement assumed power at Carrow Road following the dismissal of his predecessor, Liam Manning.

It's been a strange year in Norfolk for Norwich, who, at one stage, had genuine fears of relegation to League One towards the beginning of the season.

The appointment of Liam Manning from Bristol City went far from planned, as the former MK Dons boss won just three of his 17 games in charge, leaving Norwich towards the foot of the Championship table.

Their next appointment had to be spot on, and spot on it has been, with former Monaco and Rangers boss Clement showing his European pedigree since arrival in the East of England, propelling Norwich up the table and quashing any lingering fears of relegation in the process.

Injuries have hindered their campaign, whilst the January window posed the problem of one of their star players pushing for an exit, in a saga that, on the face of it, couldn't have possibly been better handled by the club.

Norwich sold Josh Sargent for upwards of £20 million - his replacement is banging in the goals for a fraction of that price

As the January transfer window rolled around, Norwich found themselves in the midst of an awkward situation with one of their star assets, namely USMNT striker Josh Sargent, angling for an exit from the club.

Sargent had made over 150 appearances for the Canaries since joining from German side Werder Bremen in the summer of 2021, and became widely regarded as one of the best forwards in the Championship during his time in the division.

However, after four-and-a-half years at the club, Sargent wanted a return to North America and made himself unavailable for selection in order to force through a move.

Norwich would stand firm, as Toronto parted ways with potentially over £20 million to bring Sargent to Canada, spelling the end of his time in Europe, as the Canaries looked elsewhere to bring in an alternative.

Jovon Makama had shown glimpses of his talent since arriving from Lincoln City in the summer, whilst Mathias Kvistgaarden struggled, as Clement sought a replacement in the window, eventually landing on Australian forward Mohamed Toure.

Toure joined with a relatively unremarkable goal record in the Danish top flight with Randers, as his £2.6 million acquisition was seen as an investment for the future.

However, his impact has been instantaneous, with seven goals and three assists in just eight Championship appearances so far, including hat-tricks against both Oxford United and Bristol City, and he has taken to the English second tier like a duck to water.

Still just 22, the Guinean-born Australian international has already displayed to Norwich supporters exactly what he is capable of, and has likely already made a flurry of them forget all about Sargent.

Norwich rolled the dice with the signing of Toure, and so far, their gamble has certainly paid off.

The top six places look to just about elude the Canaries this time around, but Clement can continue with this level of form from his Norwich side, and in particular Toure, heading into next season, there is no reason why the Canaries cannot be in a battle at the summit of the division next year.

As for Sargent, he has just one goal and two assists in five MLS appearances since returning to North America, as Toronto awaits to see whether he will be worth the investment or not.

His time in Norfolk ended under a dark cloud, and his legacy at Carrow Road is left with a stain, something he may regret in years to come. Though, as for Norwich, should Toure continue his form in front of goal, they will have no qualms with the way things have panned out.

Philippe Clement should be lauded for his transfer nous at Norwich City regarding the deals of Josh Sargent and Mohamed Toure

In his short time at the club, Clement has already displayed his ability as an excellent head coach both on and off the pitch.

Joining a squad low on confidence and dismantled by injuries, the Belgian has worked his magic to guide them away from danger and looks set for a strong finish to the season.

The departure of Sargent couldn't have been handled much better, either, with the American collecting the club a substantial fee, and proving that they don't need him to be successful.

Toure's addition has exemplified that, as Clement has shown real nous in the transfer market, something Norwich supporters will hope can continue moving forward.