Having only won one of his five Championship games, Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup has had a challenging start to life in Norfolk. Several of his finest players were also offloaded during the summer transfer window.
In August, the Danish manager lost Gabriel Sara, Jonathan Rowe, Adam Idah, and Abu Kamara; the departure of the Brazilian midfielder was perhaps the largest blow.
Under David Wagner, the former São Paulo player scored 13 goals and provided 12 assists in 46 appearances in the second division during the regular season in 2023–2024. Galatasaray then moved quickly to sign him for a deal that would cost £20 million, with add-ons potentially costing £22.5 million.
Norwich do, however, have an asset at the club who is reportedly worth even more than Sara, as his value has soared over the last three seasons.
How much Norwich paid for Josh Sargent
Josh Sargent, an American international, was acquired by Daniel Farke and Stuart Webber from Werder Bremen during the summer of 2021 as the Canaries got ready for a Premier League season.
The 2. Bundesliga center-forward, who had recently been demoted from Germany’s top division, was supposedly signed by the club for a reputed £8 million, and he had a difficult first season in England.
Dean Smith took over as manager of Norwich following their relegation from the Premier League, and Sargent managed just two goals in 26 games—against Watford in the same match.
For the American striker, though, the promotion to the Championship was a blessing in disguise because he has flourished with the Yellows in the second division.
Josh Sargent’s current market value
His worth has increased by an incredible £22 million since the summer of 2021, according to reports from Norwich during the summer transfer window. The team was reportedly seeking an astronomical fee of £30 million for its top scorer.
Under Smith and David, the right-footed striker recorded 40 appearances throughout the 2022–2023 season, tallying 13 goals and two assists.
Wagner, although he only made 19 appearances as a striker; most of his goals came from attacking midfield or wing positions.
However, Sargent has only played as a center-forward through the middle since the 2023–24 season began, and his goal scoring record reflects that.
| Josh Sargent | 23/24 Championship | 24/25 Championship |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 26 | 5 |
| xG | 12.07 | 1.90 |
| Goals | 16 | 2 |
| Assists | 2 | 1 |
| Big chances created | 3 | 1 |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old striker has fired in 18 goals in his last 31 appearances in the Championship for Norwich, from an xG of just 13.97.
These statistics show that Sargent has been a reliable source of goals for the Canaries in the second tier, and his return of 18 goals from 13.97 xG shows that he ruthlessly puts away the chances that come his way.
His terrific goalscoring record may be why the club value him at a staggering £30m, more than the £22.5m they raked in for Sara, and shows that Farke and Webber hit the jackpot when they landed him for just £8m in the summer of 2021.
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