What's happened to Borja Sainz since he left Norwich City for Porto in Portugal | OneFootball

Borja Sainz left Norwich City this summer for Portuguese giants FC Porto

Borja Sainz left Norwich City this summer after two seasons in Norfolk to join Portuguese giants FC Porto, and he has hit the ground running since his switch to 30-time Portuguese champions.

Having spent time in the youth systems of both Athletic Bilbao and Deportivo Alaves, it was with the latter that Borja Sainz made his professional debut, though he never truly nailed down a place in the side between 2019 and 2021, and would head out on loan to Real Zaragoza for the 2021/22 season.

He again failed to light up the world in his native Spain, and would subsequently take the risk of moving abroad at 21 years old to join Turkish outfit Giresunspor in the top flight, where, in his debut and only season for the club, he would hit nine goals and grab four assists, attracting the interest from England.

Norwich City would sign Sainz on a free transfer on a three-year deal following his departure from Giresunspor under then-head coach David Wagner, and upon his switch to Norfolk, Wagner said, "He's a young player, but already has good minutes in the top levels.

"You could really feel his desire to come in and make an impact. He is hungry to prove himself, exactly the kind of player we want to have in our group."

Sainz would initially struggle to break into the Canaries side upon his arrival, but would emerge as an important player in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, scoring six and assisting twice as Norwich missed out in the play-off semi-final to Leeds United.

In the following campaign, the Spaniard would explode into life, scoring 15 and assisting twice in the first 18 games of the Championship season, and would ultimately finish the season with 18 goals and four assists to his name as his goal flurry slowed down.

Though entering the last year of his deal, interest in Sainz was high, and FC Porto decided to pay the Canaries £14.25 million for his services this summer, and whilst the Canaries' wings have seemingly been plucked since his departure, the Spanish attacker has continued flying high.

How Borja Sainz is getting on since leaving Norwich City for FC Porto for £14.25 million

Since joining Porto on a five-year deal this summer, Sainz has hit the ground running for the Portuguese giants, with Norwich's Sporting Director Ben Knapper saying upon his departure, "During his time with us, his performances and impact have been brilliant. He gave us all many memorable moments, scored some spectacular goals and was often the deciding factor in many of our games.

"This is a fantastic move for all parties, with Borja now progressing onto the next stage of his career with a top European club in FC Porto.

Upon his arrival in Porto, Sainz said, "It was a conscious decision I made. FC Porto believed in me, and I'm very happy to be here.

"The integration has been easy, everyone is helping me a lot. The first days are always more complicated, and they are doing everything they can to make the new signings feel comfortable."

The Spaniard has started all but two games in the Portuguese top flight this season, scoring three and assisting twice as the club tops the league table after 11 matches, with ten wins and one draw under former Nice and Ajax boss Francesco Farioli.

Looking at his Instagram account, Sainz appears to have settled in well with the rest of the core squad, with the likes of Jan Bednarek, Rodrigo Mora, Pepe, and Samuel Aghehowa all commenting support messages on his posts.

Primarily being used on the left wing, Sainz is competing with the likes of Pepe, Mora, and William Gomes for a place in the starting 11, and has thus far started more often than not.

Porto will be holding real ambitions of beating both Benfica and Sporting CP to the league title this season, with Sainz having a crucial role to play during this season to make that happen.

Norwich City have struggled since the departure of Borja Sainz this summer

Heading back to Norfolk, it hasn't been a pretty season for the Canaries since Sainz's departure in July.

Norwich have the worst home record, not just in the Championship, but in the entire EFL, having failed to pick up a single point at home in seven attempts, whilst also losing out to Southampton in the EFL Cup at Carrow Road.

This has already resulted in the departure of Liam Manning, who they had poached from Bristol City this summer after the Englishman led the Robins to a play-off finish last campaign, but the boyhood Norwich fan's return to the club couldn't have gone much worse.

Norwich recentlyannounced former Monaco and Rangers manager Philippe Clement as the club's new head coach, with Canaries fans hoping that the Belgian is the right person to turn their awful form around and guide them away from the relegation zone.

The big investments into the attack have so far not paid off, with neither Mathias Kvistgaarden, Matej Jurasek, Oscar Schwartau, nor Ante Crnac able to take on the mantle that Sainz had left behind, with even USMNT striker Josh Sargent hitting a rough patch of form.

Sainz's departure has no doubt had an impact on the position that Norwich currently find themselves in, and if he were still at the club, you can't help but feel that they would be better off, and Manning may yet still be in a job.