USMNT star Josh Sargent sent Premier League transfer warning in 12-goal season at Norwich

The United States international has recovered from early injury struggles in 2023-24 to become a key player for the Canaries in their bid to earn promotion out of the Championship. He has 12 goals to his name, leaving him one short of matching his personal best from last season.

Sargent has delivered a flurry of goals in 2024 – nine since the turn of the year – and is said to be attracting admiring glances from the English top-flight. The 24-year-old’s current ability and future potential is clear for all to see, but he has been told that individual standards cannot be allowed to drop.

Former Norwich striker Chris Sutton has told the Pink Un: “I've seen plenty of articles stating that Josh Sargent is the best striker in the Championship. Well, now is the time to come to the fore and prove that. This has been a defining season for Sargent. There is no debate that he is their starting number nine and is a much more complete striker than Teemu Pukki, even if the Finn had the edge on him in terms of movement in behind and ruthless finishing. But he cannot wilt. If he does, those clubs watching him will ebb away. If he does, Norwich will have their work cut out to keep him. The links to Brentford were intriguing, and I suspect they won't be alone - but Sargent and Norwich have to block out that noise.”

Sutton added on the challenges facing Sargent and Norwich as a whole: “There will be City players in that dressing room who feel they are Premier League-grade. Prove it. Do it in the moments that matter - not when you're thumping a desperately poor Rotherham side. It's easy to show quality in those moments. From a player's perspective, you want to play at the top level.

"If there are Premier League clubs circling, then it will be hard for any of them to turn that down and for Norwich to keep them. They have always been a selling club. People know that. They give players excellent platforms and help them propel their careers to the next level. I was an example of that. So was James Maddison. Emi Buendia. Josh Murphy. But those players cannot be looking at themselves or wondering about what comes next. It can't be the time inside the club to be wasting energy on that stuff. It has to be all hands on deck.”

Norwich sit sixth in the Championship table as things stand, but only goal difference is keeping them inside the play-off places. They have nine games left to take in, with the first of those set to see them travel to Stoke on Saturday.