A new era has commenced at Norwich City with the appointment of Liam Manning as the club’s new head coach. Manning, poached from Bristol City for a reported compensation fee of £800,000, takes over after the surprising departure of Johannes Hoff Thorup in April. Jack Wilshere briefly served as interim manager but has since left the club.
While Manning inherits a squad with perceived quality and financial resources, the transfer statuses of star forwards Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent are creating concerns for the club’s pre-season preparations.
Concerns Over Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent
Borja Sainz had a productive season for Norwich, registering 19 goals and four assists in 43 appearances across all competitions. He finished as the joint-second highest scorer in the Championship with 18 goals, alongside Burnley’s Josh Brownhill, trailing only Leeds United’s Joel Piroe. As a result, significant interest from other clubs has emerged. Norwich is reported to have received formal bids for Sainz from clubs in Italy and Portugal, with teams from Turkey, Spain, and England also expressing interest. Negotiations regarding a potential sale are reportedly underway.
Josh Sargent, despite a slow start to his Norwich career after an £8 million move from Werder Bremen in 2021, has become a consistent scorer, reaching double figures in goals for the past three seasons. This season, despite missing nearly three months due to groin surgery, Sargent scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 33 appearances. His performances have attracted attention from other clubs.
Sargent’s statistics for Norwich City (as per Transfermarkt) are:
- Appearances: 133
- Goals: 48
- Assists: 12
He has been linked with Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, and reports earlier this week suggested interest from Italian side Roma. While the Norwich hierarchy is reportedly “relaxed” about Sargent’s situation, the club is urged to resolve the uncertainty surrounding both players’ futures before the start of the season. The summer transfer window in England closes on September 1, 2025.
Avoiding a Repeat of Past Transfer Sagas
Norwich City faces a challenge similar to previous years, when the club dealt with high-profile player exits. While Gabriel Sara’s £20 million sale to Galatasaray last summer proceeded smoothly, Jonathan Rowe’s departure reportedly caused disruption. Rowe’s withdrawal from the squad for the opening game, amidst transfer speculation, contributed to a poor start to the season and Johannes Hoff Thorup’s tenure. Subsequent controversial sagas involving Adam Idah and Abu Kamara further impacted the team.
To prevent a similar scenario from affecting Liam Manning’s start, Norwich must seek a prompt resolution for Sainz and Sargent. The club will naturally aim to retain their best players or, failing that, secure the highest possible transfer fees. However, waiting too long to finalize deals risks transfer headlines overshadowing early season performances.
Norwich is reportedly open to selling Sainz this summer to avoid losing him as a free agent next year, as his contract expires in 12 months. However, with Sargent under contract until the summer of 2028, the club may take a firmer stance on his potential departure. Should either or both players leave, Norwich would face the significant task of finding suitable replacements, necessitating adequate time to reinvest any received funds.
In other news, Liam Manning’s first challenge at Norwich City is revealed as clubs launch bids for star man.
