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Norwich City striker Josh Sargent is an in-demand talent this summer, and transfer vultures may circle again after his latest performance.
Norwich City beat Portsmouth 2-1 at Fratton Park on Saturday afternoon to see Liam Manning secure his first Championship win as Canaries boss.
An early header from unmarked Harry Darling opened the scoring, and then his teammate Josh Sargent doubled the Canaries’ lead with a header from close range.
A late goal from Adrian Segecic threatened a Pompey comeback, but Manning’s visitors held out for their first three points of the season after last weekend’s heavy defeat to Millwall.
After the game, Manning lifted the lid on what the future of in-demand goalscorer Sargent is looking like with the window deadline fast approaching.
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Liam Manning comments on the future of Norwich City’s Josh Sargent
The future of Norwich striker Sargent has been speculated throughout the summer transfer window after the USMNT star scored 15 goals and notched five assists in 40 games last season.
After Borja Sainz left Norwich for Porto, fans feared that his partner-in-crime would also depart before the 2025/26 season, with Burnley and Wolfsburg in talks for Sargent in mid-July.
Following those talks, Sargent neared a £21m move to Wolfsburg, but his return to the Bundesliga failed to materialise after Wolfsburg ‘withdrew’ from the Sargent deal.
Sargent has taken his goalscoring from last season into this, with three goals in Norwich’s first three games in all competitions so far.
After the Portsmouth draw in which Sargent scored, as quoted by Sky Sports, the Canaries boss hailed the forward’s professionalism.
Manning said: “I’m hoping Ben (Knapper, Norwich’s director of football) turns his phone off so we don’t get any calls.
“Sarge role models everything you want. He’s a top person, a top professional. You see his work rate and how he leads by example. He’s top class.
“It’s a really tough place to come, you only have to look at the results here last year. We knew that and we showed a real fighting spirit.”
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Promotion for Norwich City could hinge on Josh Sargent’s future
With the summer transfer window deadline now only two weeks away, time is of the essence for Norwich to make a decisive call on Sargent.
On the one hand, his early goalscoring form this season could increase his transfer value by an extra million pounds or two to benefit the club’s financial coffers.
| Statistic | Josh Sargent vs Portsmouth |
| Goals | 1 |
| Shots on target | 2/2 |
| Touches in opposition box | 2 |
However, his proven goal record in the Championship and his evident ability to suit Manning’s system could be the catalyst needed for the Canaries’ top-six push this season.
With Norwich finally registering their first win of the season, the positive mood around the current Carrow Road project could be enough to convince Sargent to stay if further top flight suitors circle before deadline day.