Highlights
Norwich City may need to sell Josh Sargent to strengthen their squad and improve their chances of promotion.
Selling Sargent could provide funds for multiple areas of the team, following a similar strategy to Bale's transfer.
The decision to sell Sargent will be a tough one but could lead to a more balanced team with better prospects of promotion.
Danny Mills has claimed that Norwich City may need to sell Josh Sargent this summer in order to strengthen their overall squad.
Sargent was a standout figure in David Wagner’s side last season, contributing 16 goals and two assists from 26 appearances in the Championship (all stats from Fbref).
The US international missed a large chunk of the start of the campaign due to injury, but performed excellently when available.
But the Canaries’ failure to gain promotion has led to some speculation over the striker’s future at Carrow Road.
It has been reported that Leeds United are eyeing a potential move for the 24-year-old this summer.
However, it remains to be seen whether the Whites will pursue a move following their own failure to go back up to the Premier League.
Danny Mills makes Josh Sargent transfer claim
Mills has compared the potential sale of Sargent this summer to when Tottenham Hotspur cashed in on Gareth Bale in 2013.
He believes that selling the forward for a high fee could allow the club to invest in improving the squad in multiple areas to help their promotion bid.
“I think we all know that finances are incredibly tight at most football clubs,” said Mills.
“We even see it in the Premier League with some incredibly wealthy owners.
“It's the nature of football.
“Sometimes you have to sell to rebuild, and sometimes you have to sell your stars to refinance the rest of the team.
“You can sell one player and bring four in, and sometimes that's just a good business model.
“It's what you have to do.
“Obviously, he was one of their better players last season, one of their standouts, and if you can command a big fee sometimes, you have to sacrifice that.
“Spurs did it with Gareth Bale back in the day.
“They spent the money really badly and brought in 11 players that didn't work.
“But that's the sort of way sometimes you have to go.
“You have to sell a player for big money, and if you can bring in three or four off the back of that, you end up with a better balanced team and more chance of going for it and getting promotion.
“I think all clubs will be looking at their recruitment.
“Who can they bring in and at what price? Because we all know that the championship and the EFL is certainly not awash with cash.”
Josh Sargent’s importance to Norwich City
Sargent initially struggled following his move from Werder Bremen to Norwich in the summer of 2021, scoring just twice in his debut league season at Carrow Road.
However, he has gone from strength to strength during his two campaigns in the Championship.
The American has cemented himself as a key part of the Norwich squad, and was crucial to their top six finish in the last term.
It will likely take an eight-figure sum, potentially as high as £15 to 20 million to convince the Canaries to part ways with their star striker this summer.
Any decision over his future could also come down to new manager Johaness Hoff Thorup, who has replaced David Wagner in the dugout since the end of the campaign.
Sargent sale is a big dilemma for Norwich
Right now Norwich can sit quietly and wait and see if concrete interest even arises in Sargent this summer.
But if a big offer does come in, then they will have a very difficult decision to make.
Sargent staying would be key to a potential promotion push next season, but if they can use that money to make three or four signings then it could be worth it.
This is a difficult trade-off to consider, but it could prove to be a net positive if they can pull off the right moves with the money they receive for his possible departure.