Toronto FC have submitted an $18 million (£13.4 million) bid for Norwich City and U.S. international striker Josh Sargent, a source has confirmed to ESPN.
Fabrizio Romano was the first to report Toronto’s attempt to land the forward.
The bid comes as Sargent, 25, refused to play in Norwich City’s 5-1 FA Cup victory over Mansfield on Sunday.
Norwich manager Philippe Clement said afterwards that Sargent texted him Saturday night informing him that he wouldn’t play because of “transfer things in his head.” Clement remained steadfast in his belief that Sargent would remain with the Canaries.
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“This is obviously not something we want and will have consequences,” Clement said.
“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.”
The source also confirmed this is a move that Sargent wants in a bid to make his second consecutive World Cup roster with the USMNT.
Sargent got off to a sparkling start this season, scoring six goals in all competitions by the end of August. But he then struggled, failing to find the net during the next three months before finally ending his drought in December.
Norwich has struggled along with him, and currently finds itself in the relegation zone of the English Championship, though the Canaries are just one point from safety.
Sargent’s struggles at club level have cast considerable doubt on his place on the U.S. roster for next summer.
The O’ Fallon, Mo. native hasn’t scored for the USMNT since 2019 — a span of 17 appearances — and wasn’t called up by U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino during the last two international windows in October and November.
