Leeds United summer link facing crunch transfer decision amid red-hot form and Daniel Farke praise
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke is a big fan of the 12-goal striker.
Summer Leeds United link and Daniel Farke favourite Josh Sargent expects a ‘few options’ on the table this summer as the striker weighs up his Norwich City future.
Sargent is into his fourth campaign as a Norwich player and it will likely be his most productive, with the American on 12 goals and five assists in 24 Championship appearances. A red-hot run since the turn of the year has seen him find the net eight times in his last 10 league games, form that will inevitably reignite interest from prospective suitors going into the summer.
Leeds have been fleetingly linked with interest in Sargent, who was welcomed to Carrow Road in 2021 by then-Norwich boss Daniel Farke. The German retains an admiration for his former player, labelling him one of the Championship’s top strikers ahead of January’s meeting at Elland Road.
Josh Sargent on his Norwich City future
Reports have linked Sargent with a return to the Premier League this summer, naming the likes of Everton and Nottingham Forest as possible suitors, while Major League Soccer outfit FC Cincinnati are also thought to have been interested. Should the 25-year-old’s current run of form extend through until May, then a move away from Carrow Road could present itself and there might be plenty of avenues to explore.
“I think there will be a few options this summer if something were to happen,” Sargent told the Guardian while away on international duty with the US Men’s National team. “It’s a decision that me and my wife are gonna have to make together, and whatever makes the most sense for our family, as well as my career.”
Sargent’s Norwich looked set to challenge for a play-off place this season but a miserable run of form has seen them drop into the bottom-half. Johannes Hoff Thorup’s side have one win in eight and with those above gaining momentum rather than losing it, a top-six spot now seems out of reach.
It means that if Sargent is to secure top-flight football next season - a huge one for him which will build-up to the 2026 World Cup in his home country, plus Mexico and Canada - then it will almost certainly have to be away from Carrow Road. The striker will still have two years left on his Norwich contract come summer, however, so an exit would not be straightforward.
Could Leeds United sign Sargent this summer?
Sargent's past relationship with Farke makes for an obvious Elland Road link, but any Whites interest is unconfirmed. The Leeds boss has always been a big fan of the man he signed from Werder Bremen and that feeling isn’t likely to have faded during arguably his best patch of form.
Furthermore, Leeds will be expected to sign a striker this summer, particularly if they are recruiting for the Premier League. There was genuine interest in taking Cameron Archer on loan from Southampton in January and the No.9 position is a priority, given Patrick Bamford will be 32 in September and has availability issues while Mateo Joseph and Joel Piroe are both untried at the top level.
The question over Sargent would be around his capability of scoring regularly in the Premier League. He was signed as a top-flight player by Norwich back in 2021 and scored just two league goals in 26 appearances, admittedly for a poor Canaries side, but has since matured impressively in Norfolk, becoming a much-improved frontman compared to four years ago.
Admittedly, a drop down to the Championship presents Sargent with the opportunity to face easier opposition, while also playing for a more dominant side compared to one scrapping relegation. But the American has now his double figures for goals in each of his three second-tier campaigns, scoring 13 and 16 goals in each of the last two full seasons before getting into 12 so far this time round.
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