Norwich City face fresh Burnley FC, Josh Sargent exit threat - They should plot QPR transfer raid | OneFootball

Norwich City should consider targeting QPR striker Charlie Kelman as a replacement for Josh Sargent.

Norwich City will be hoping to challenge for promotion next season under new head coach Liam Manning, but there could be challenges ahead for the club in the summer transfer window.

It was an underwhelming campaign for Norwich last season, and after failing to lead his side to the play-offs, Johannes Hoff Thorup was sacked in April, with Jack Wilshere taking charge for the final two games on the way to a 13th-placed finish.

After a lengthy search for Thorup's permanent successor, the Canaries named Manning as their new head coach earlier this month, and they reportedly paid a compensation fee of £800,000 for the 39-year-old, who led Bristol City to a sixth-placed finish in the Championship last season.

It has been a busy start to the transfer window for Norwich, and they have certainly provided Manning with strong backing, with five new signings arriving at Carrow Road so far, while midfielder Jacob Wright has also completed a £2.3 million move from Manchester City after a successful loan spell.

However, while it has been a largely positive summer for the Canaries up to this point, they may be faced with the prospect of losing two of their star players before the end of the window.

Burnley plotting Josh Sargent, Norwich City transfer swoop

Winger Borja Sainz finished last season as Norwich's top scorer after netting 19 goals in 43 appearances, and the Spaniard was recently the subject of a rejected £12.7 million bid from Porto, while Napoli, Athletic Bilbao and Nottingham Forest are also believed to be keen.

Sainz's departure looks inevitable this summer, but he could be followed out of the Carrow Road exit door by striker Josh Sargent, who scored 15 goals in 33 games for the Canaries last season.

Sargent has been linked with Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Roma in recent months, but as FLW exclusively revealed this week, another newly-promoted Premier League side in Burnley have joined the race for the 28-cap United States international's signature.

With Sargent under contract until 2028, the Norwich hierarchy are said to be "relaxed" about his situation, but they will not want the speculation over his future to overshadow the start of the season, just as the rumours surrounding winger Jonathan Rowe did last summer prior to his eventual move to Marseille.

It remains to be seen whether Burnley or any other of Sargent's suitors will firm up their interest in the striker by making a formal bid, but as his list of admirers increases, the Canaries should be on the hunt for potential replacements, and QPR's Charlie Kelman is one name they could consider.

Kelman is a man in demand this summer after an outstanding loan spell at Leyton Orient last season, with FLW exclusively reporting last month that as many as eight Championship clubs are monitoring him after his return to parent club QPR.

The 23-year-old scored an impressive 27 goals and provided six assists in 61 appearances for the O's last season to help them reach the League One play-off final, where they were beaten by Charlton Athletic, but despite his impressive form, there is no guarantee that he will be brought back into the fold at Loftus Road next term.

Kelman has made just 26 appearances for the R's since joining the club from Southend United in October 2020, failing to score a single goal during that time, so he may feel that it is the right time to make a fresh start this summer while his stock is high, which could open the door for Norwich to make a move.

Of course, it will be no easy task for any striker to replace Sargent, who has scored 48 goals in 133 games for the Canaries since arriving from Werder Bremen for a fee in the region of £8 million in the summer of 2021, including hitting double figures in each of the past three seasons.

While he excelled in League One last season, Kelman is unproven at Championship level, and with Norwich seemingly targeting more experienced players this summer, such as Kovacevic, Grimshaw, Darling and Medic, they may have doubts about whether the QPR front man can deliver in the second tier.

However, the Canaries should remember that Sargent did not have a particularly prolific goalscoring record when he joined the club four years ago, and Kelman's 27-goal haul in the third tier should not be dismissed.

As shown by their early transfer business, Norwich have money to spend this summer, and their budget could be further boosted by the sales of Sainz and Sargent, so they may have the necessary funds to tempt the R's into selling Kelman if they were to make a bid for the striker.

The signing of Kelman would be a gamble for the Canaries, but the risk could potentially come with high rewards if he was to replicate anywhere near his Leyton Orient form at Carrow Road, and raiding a possible play-off rival in QPR would send a strong statement of intent to the rest of the Championship.