Norwich City have had a difficult start to the 2026-27 Championship season, and there is some pressure on Philippe Clement, with Canaries fans maybe wishing for what could have been with former striker Josh Sargent.
Norwich, who were excellent in the second part of last season, entered this season as potential promotion hopefuls, or at the very least competitors for the extended play-offs and the top eight slots in the second tier.
However, a porous defence and overall inconsistency have hampered their objectives, as they remain in the bottom half of the Championship, with former Monaco manager Clement unable to find a winning recipe.
Midway through the season, just before their play improved, they sold United States international striker Josh Sargent, who is still performing relatively well in Major League Soccer.
Josh Sargent’s experience at Toronto FC has been mixed.
Josh Sargent, who arrived in Toronto prior of the 2026 MLS season, made his Toronto FC debut from the bench in a 1-1 draw against New York City.
After going scoreless against NYCFC and then the Columbus Crew, the 26-year-old scored his first goal for Toronto in a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids, in which he also provided an assist.
A thigh injury kept him out for much of May, which may have influenced Mauricio Pochettino’s decision, as Sargent was left out of the Argentine’s 26-man USMNT squad for the FIFA World Cup, which they hosted in the summer, with Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Haji Wright selected instead.
Since MLS returned to action in mid-July, the sting of being left out may have had an impact on Sargent’s performance, with only four goals in 14 appearances, three of which came in a 4-4 draw against the Chicago Fire in September, in which Robert Lewandowski also scored.
This season, the Canadians have struggled in the Eastern Conference, sitting 10th in the standings and outside of the top seven automatic play-off berths and the last two play-off qualifying slots, with Sargent their second-highest scorer behind Daniel Salloi.
Josh Sargent forced himself out of Norwich City.
Sargent, who came through Werder Bremen’s system, was signed by Norwich for about 9.5 million euros in the summer of 2021, following their promotion to the Premier League.
The American struggled in his first season in England before scoring double figures in three consecutive Championship seasons with The Canaries, propelling him into the club’s top five all-time scorers.
Norwich’s all-time leading scorers
PLAYER
PERIOD
GAMES
GOALS
Iwan Roberts
1997 – 2004
303 98
Teemu Pukki
2018 – 2023
210 88
Grant Holt
2009 – 2013
167 78
Robert Fleck
1987 – 1992 & 1995 – 1998
250 72
Josh Sargent
2021 – 2026
157 56
He continued to perform well on the pitch, scoring seven goals in 23 appearances in the first half of the 2025-26 season, but things turned sour for him at Carrow Road.
After declining to play in an FA Cup third round fixture against Walsall in January, Sargent was dropped from squads and made to practice with the under-21 side.
After forcing his way out of the club, Sargent finally got his way at the end of February, when he sealed a move to Toronto FC for a fee that could exceed £20 million.
Norwich now has Mohamed Toure and Jovon Makama in attack.
Following the disagreement between the club and Sargent, Norwich completed the acquisition of Randers’ Australian international striker Mohamed Toure.
Toure had a strong finish to last season and had hints of his quality during the FIFA World Cup, which Sargent did not have before beginning this season brilliantly, albeit now sidelined due to a shoulder injury incurred in a 4-3 defeat to Bolton Wanderers before the international break.
In addition to Toure, Norwich features one of the division’s most intriguing young forwards in former Lincoln City player Jovon Makama, who moved to Norfolk last summer and has since scored 11 goals in 33 Championship outings.
Makama has fought his way back to full health and, if he can reunite with Toure at some point, should form one of the division’s greatest assaults.
As they stumble around, Norwich fans may be forgiven for wondering what might have happened this season if they had kept Sargent, but as his form dwindles and Makama and Toure emerge, things at the top end of the pitch remain positive – and could be what propels the club forward if their overall form and performance level improve once more.
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