Josh Sargent has reportedly decided that his time at Norwich City is over after feeling disrespected during a recent meeting with senior club figures.
The 25-year-old forward is keen on a move back to Major League Soccer, with Toronto FC having submitted a bid for the United States international. Sargent’s desire to return to the MLS is said to be driven by family reasons, with the striker wanting to be closer to his wife and three young children.
Sargent held talks last week with head coach Philippe Clement and sporting director Ben Knapper to outline his intentions following Toronto’s approach. However, the discussions are understood to have become heated, with a comment made by Knapper regarding Sargent’s family leaving the player deeply upset and feeling disrespected.
Following the meeting, Sargent was omitted from the first-team squad for disciplinary reasons after informing Clement he would not be available for the match against Walsall. Since news of Toronto’s interest emerged, he has been training with Norwich’s Under-21s. Clement later confirmed the decision, saying: “I’m not going into details, but he knows why he is training with the second team and we’ll see how it develops.”
Norwich are believed to have left the door open for Sargent’s reintegration into the first team, on the condition that he apologises for refusing to play. However, that option is reportedly not being considered by the player following his exchange with Knapper.
Sargent has scored 56 goals in 156 appearances for the Canaries, and the club had previously maintained that he would not be sold during the January window unless their valuation was met. Clement did, however, leave the situation open-ended.
“In football, you can never say never,” Clement said. “If someone came in tomorrow with £100 million for Josh, he would go. It’s not about saying no to everything, but it has to be a situation that benefits the club.”
As Norwich prepare for the possibility of his departure, the club have made enquiries about Bodo/Glimt striker Kasper Høgh and are also aware of interest in Sargent from clubs such as Nottingham Forest. Despite that, Sargent’s focus is said to be firmly on securing a return to the United States.
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