United States men’s national team striker Josh Sargent will not be returning to the Bundesliga, according to reports, but he could be back in the Premier League by the end of the summer.
Norwich City were said to be close to agreeing a deal with Wolfsburg for their 2024-25 Player of the Season, returning him to the league where he started his professional career, but Sky Sports say a deal is off and it’s down to the player.
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The 25-year-old has a deal with Norwich through the 2027-28 season, and he certainly wants to get back in the USMNT picture ahead of the World Cup next summer. Sargent has five goals in 28 caps for the USMNT but has made just five appearances since the end of the 2022 World Cup.
But Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett and Anthony Joseph say “Sargent’s heart isn’t set on a move back to Germany, where he graduated in the Werder Bremen academy.”
Wolfsburg had been reportedly set to pay a $28 million fee. Norwich City will still listen to offers for Sargent, who had been linked with Premier League promoted sides Burnley and Leeds United. But at what fee?
Sargent began his club career at Werder Bremen, breaking into the Bundesliga set-up at 18 and scoring his first two goals against Fortuna Dusseldorf and RB Leipzig in December 2018.
What’s next for Josh Sargent? Would Burnley or Leeds work?
Sargent moved to Norwich City and made his Premier League debut in the 2021-22 season, scoring twice in the league and twice in the League Cup before the Canaries were relegated to the Championship.
His record in England’s second tier is outstanding, as Sargent has 44 goals and nine assists in 98 appearances including 15 goals in 32 games last season.
The move made sense because of the loyalty indicated by the price tag reporedly agreed by Wolfsburg. The Bundesliga side had sold Lukas Nmecha to Leeds and bought Vini Souza from Sheffield United. Wolfsburg are led by young Dutch manager Paul Simonis and are looking to get back to Europe after several mid-table clubs. The fee would’ve made him the biggest purchases from Wolfsburg since Andre Schurrle and Julian Draxler about a decade ago.
As for Burnley and Leeds, a return to the Premier League would give him a higher-profile stage on which to perform for Mauricio Pochettino ahead of the World Cup. Sargent’s scoring record in England is strong and the step up to the PL would make for good viewing. Burnley’s opening seems more intriguing than Leeds, given the Nmecha purchase.
And we suppose it depends on how Pochettino views the Championship. Sargent is loved there, and would stay in a first-choice position as he tries to outduel Folarin Balogun, Patrick Agyemang, Haji Wright, and Brian White — amongst others for a World Cup place.
