"Probably helped us out" - Norwich City relief expressed at Borja Sainz transfer retention | OneFootball

FLW's Norwich City fan pundit shared his thoughts on the retention of Borja Sainz beyond the winter transfer window

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Norwich City supporters may have been fearing the worst when it came to Borja Sainz's immediate future heading into the mid-season transfer window, although the Spanish winger has remained at Carrow Road in a significant boost to Johannes Hoff Thorup's side.

Sainz enjoyed an impressive first season with the Canaries but has been elevated to a new level for much of the current campaign.

The Spaniard remains the division's leading goalscorer with 15 goals and a further three assists from just 26 matches, despite missing the last four through the six-game suspension he is still serving for spitting at Sunderland's Chris Mepham back in December, but there is an argument to suggest his enforced absence proved a blessing in disguise.

In the weeks leading up to the transfer window, Sainz had earned reported interest from the likes of Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, all of whom were said to have been keen on returning the 23-year-old to his homeland.

Sainz, however, has not featured since the start of January, and missing a run of games where clubs inevitably run the rule over potential signings may have actually arrived at Norwich's aid, even if they will have doubtless been sweating over the prospect of going six fixtures without the services of their talisman to call upon.

Norwich City verdict offered on Borja Sainz transfer retention

FLW asked our resident Canaries fan pundit, Zeke Downes, just how relieved he is that his side have managed to retain Sainz until the end of the season at least.

Zeke described the seeming blessing in disguise of the winger's suspension, and now hopes he can pick up where he left off - with Sainz having put in a starring display in the dramatic 2-1 win over Coventry City, his most recent affair.

"I think the thing with Borja Sainz is his suspension probably helped us out in a way," Zeke told FLW.

"He was playing a lot of games and was probably exhausted, we were relying on him for a number of months. He was having a drier spell before he got suspended, but also that period of him being out meant teams maybe weren't as interested in him.

"We don't know if any bids came in, but I didn't hear anything.

"I think if he can regain his early-season form, obviously that was supernova in a way because it was pretty much a goal a game - that's unlikely to happen again - to have him and Josh Sargent in the team when they can both offer lots of goals, it's only going to be a really good thing.

"Hopefully he can regain his form and if he leaves at the end of the season, it will hopefully be for a decent fee."

Borja Sainz's Norwich City return will help play-off bid

Norwich are in good form as of late, having won their last two games against Swansea City and Watford. The visit of strugglers Derby County is next on the agenda this weekend, but after that, they will welcome Sainz's long-awaited return at home to Preston North End on February 11.

At this moment in time, the Canaries are in eighth with a margin of just two points separating them from sixth-placed West Bromwich Albion, meaning a second successive top-six finish is very much attainable.

Sainz is a consistent match-winner for Norwich and his goals have been so crucial in Thorup's side even being in play-off contention, and their hopes of finishing the season inside the top-six will be handed a considerable boost when he returns to action.