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The Canaries currently have two of the best players in the Championship in Josh Sargent and Borja Sainz, but that could all change during the summer. But, will either of them become one of Norwich City’s most expensive sales of all time?
It’s an exciting time to be a Norwich fan right now, with Liam Manning’s Carrow Road revolution in full swing already.
The new manager has bagged himself one of the best defenders in the league in Harry Darling, as well as a couple of new goalkeepers.
We’re sure there’ll be more Norwich City transfers as the summer months roll by, and we’re also expecting to see at least one of Borja Sainz or Josh Sargent depart the club (if not both).
So, it got us thinking, what are Norwich City’s most expensive sales of all time? And can Sainz or Sargent make their way onto that list?
Norwich City’s most expensive sales of all time
5. Jamal Lewis – £14.1m (Newcastle United)
With Max Aarons on one side of defence and Jamal Lewis on the other, Norwich had a formidable pair of full-backs just five years ago.
Sadly, Norwich are the kind of club that will more often than not see their best players move on to bigger clubs, and that happened with Lewis in 2020.
He secured a £14.1m move to Newcastle United, but has played just 36 games for the Magpies while going out on loan to Watford and, rather randomly, Sao Paulo. Suffice it to say, the move to the North East hasn’t worked out, and he will become a free agent this summer.
4. Gabriel Sara – £15.4m (Galatasaray)
Funnily enough, Norwich had to deal with losing one of their best players last summer as well, with Gabriel Sara moving on to Galatasaray.
Norwich were able to get a decent fee for the midfielder of just over £15m, though, and they reinvested that wisely; as they often do.
The Brazilian has made 45 appearances in 2024/25 for his new team, scoring two goals and adding ten assists as Galatasaray completed the league and cup double in Turkey. A productive move if ever there was one.
3. James Maddison – £21.4m (Leicester City)
We all know about James Maddison’s journey in football, going from being a youngster at Coventry City, to making a name for himself at Norwich, before moving on to win trophies with Leicester City and now Tottenham Hotspur.
He was one of Norwich City’s most expensive sales of all time, and his £21.4m move also helped to save the club from the brink of extinction in many ways. Indeed, former sporting director claimed Norwich survived a financial ‘disaster’ thanks to that deal alone.
As mentioned above, he’s not done badly since leaving the club. He was part of the FA Cup-winning side at Leicester, and just won the Europa League with Spurs.
2. Ben Godfrey – £23.5m (Everton)
In the same year Norwich lost Jamal Lewis, they also parted ways with another top young defender, with Ben Godfrey heading to Everton for a massive £23.5m.
He won two England caps within a year of joining the Toffees, but things have not gone to plan since, with injuries largely derailing Godfrey’s career.
The centre-half moved to Atalanta last summer for less than half of what Everton originally paid, before joining Norwich’s fierce rivals Ipswich Town on loan in January. It’s safe to say Canaries fans are not happy with him.
1. Emiliano Buendia – £32.8m (Aston Villa)
The rest of Norwich City’s most expensive sales pale in comparison to the man at the top of the list, Emi Buendia. And, to be fair, you can see why they paid just under £33m for him.
Ask any Norwich fan and they’ll tell you just how good Buendia was for them. A real magician with the ball, Buendia was one of the most exciting playmakers in England at the time of his move to Villa.
Sadly, injuries also massively hampered his progress. Buendia made 97 appearances for Villa over the years, but spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen.
How much will Norwich sell Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent for?
Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent could both leave Norwich this summer. The more likely, though, is Sainz, with Napoli already making multiple offers for the winger.
Reports suggest offers for Sainz have been around £12-13m, but Norwich are expected to hold out for £15m. He was one of the best players in the Championship last term, so that’s fair, but he’s also only got one year left on his contract.
While Sainz might just make it onto our list here, Sargent almost certainly will if he leaves this summer. Leeds United are keen on Sargent, and are thought to have offered around £16.8m already. Norwich, however, are likely to hold out for closer to £20m or more.