Forward Josh Sargent is nearing a transfer to MLS’ Toronto FC after a four-and-a-half-year spell in England with Norwich City in a move that could be notable as the race to crack the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup squad enters its final months, according to reports.
Toronto sent a bid worth $18 million to Norwich for Sargent’s services, per Fabrizio Romano, with negotiations currently underway for a transfer. Sargent missed the Canaries’ 5-1 win against Walsall in the FA Cup on Sunday in a decision of his own making – manager Philippe Clement said post-match that Sargent texted him on Saturday evening to rule himself out of the match as the transfer process gets underway.
“Josh sent me a message [on Saturday] evening saying he would not be available because of transfer things in his head,” Clement said. “This is obviously not something we want, and will have consequences. It is something we need to speak about inside the club, but the club has made it really clear to Josh and his agent that he will not be leaving during this transfer window.”
Sargent was previously the subject of a move to Wolfsburg over the summer but the 25-year-old went on to turn the German club down, per The Athletic.
The American has been a meaningful member of Norwich’s attack since joining from Werder Bremen ahead of the 2021-22 season, currently boasting 56 goals in 156 appearances across all competitions for the club. He scored four goals in his debut season for the club, during which they were relegated from the Premier League, but has since scored double-digit goals in each season for Canaries. He currently has eight goals this campaign and is the team’s second-leading goalscorer in the Championship, where they are currently in the midst of a relegation battle and sit one point out of safety.
Sargent’s World Cup chances
For many of the last several years, Sargent has been a fixture for the USMNT but he has battled some long-term ankle injuries during that time that have limited his availability. Coupled with fitness issues, though, Sargent’s national team tenure is starting to become defined by a dry spell – he has not scored for the USMNT since 2019, a stretch that includes a goalless run at the 2022 World Cup where he played in each of the team’s group stage matches.
He has had his opportunities to impress head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who took charge of his first match in Oct. 2024, but has seen his chances come and go. Sargent started twice for the USMNT since Pochettino took the helm, a period in which he has taken just three shots in total and has not managed more than 19 touches in a match. The head coach also left Sargent off the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup squad in what he described as a sporting decision, instead calling up lesser-experienced players like Patrick Agyemang, Paxten Aaronson, Damion Downs and Brian White as he explored the wider player pool.
Where Sargent fits into the picture as the World Cup approaches is unclear. Pochettino seems to have settled on Folarin Balogun, Haji Wright and Ricardo Pepi as his preferred forwards and there may be room for more players but Sargent could have an opening. Pepi broke his arm in PSV’s 5-1 win over Excelsior on Saturday and will spend two months on the sidelines, which could create an opening for Sargent to at least crack the U.S. roster in March for friendlies against Portugal and Belgium, for which Pepi might be unavailable.
Sargent will not be disadvantaged by a move to MLS, a league he will be playing in for the first time, since Pochettino has frequently pulled from the North American division’s pool of talent. If Pepi is unavailable for the USMNT, though, that opening is not only Sargent’s to take – Agyemang has emerged as a contender after making his national team debut at the start of 2025 and though he is not the highest up the depth chart, he has taken advantage of his opportunities with the national team in a way Sargent has not.
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