January has been a good month for Norwich City. They’ve hauled themselves out of the Championship relegation zone and have looked resurgent under Philippe Clement.
Of their five new signings, Ali Ahmed has already made a difference. The Canadian international winger has scored two goals and picked up two assists in his opening four appearances for the club.
A serious hamstring injury suffered in training means it’ll be some time before Harry Amass builds on the 15 minutes he’s played for City so far. The 18-year-old left-back was brought in on loan from Manchester United but instead of helping to solve an injury crisis in that position, he has unfortunately added to it.
There was also a late pivot to secure the Championship know-how of Sam Field on loan from QPR, with Pelle Mattsson having picked up an injury late in the window.
One of the stand-out comments of Liam Manning’s ill-fated spell as City manager was when he said he felt he had some talented individuals but now needed to turn it into a team. It’s far more straightforward to tell where this month’s arrivals will fit into a Clement system that is looking increasingly well-oiled as the weeks go on.
Paris Maghoma has come in from Brentford as an option in the number 10 role while Mohamed Toure, an Australia international striker, is an intriguing prospect for the centre-forward position.
Which leads us neatly on to Josh Sargent and what might happen next for him.
The Championship comes at you fast. At the start of January most Norwich City fans would have said that keeping the American international was imperative to their chances of seeing off the looming threat of relegation to League One.
He is still a Canaries player but he’s not actually playing. Cast aside by Clement after texting his manager to say he wouldn’t be available to play against Walsall in the FA Cup means it’s a long way back.
Sargent’s heart seems set on a move to MLS – Toronto want him but have so far failed to meet City’s asking price. He does, after all, still have two and a half years on his current deal.
Contracts exist to ensure a club either has the player in the team or the market value to reinvest in the squad. As it stands, Norwich don’t have either so something will have to give. The MLS window is open until March and unless Sargent is prepared to eat humble pie, his main hope is that Toronto up their bid.
It speaks volumes for Clement’s impact at Carrow Road that praise for his handling of the situation now far outweighs any concern about losing Sargent.
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