'We want him to stay, but we have to be prepared' - Norwich boss Liam Manning on Josh Sargent transfer speculation, vows club will be proactive in all scenarios
Norwich boss expresses desire to retain USMNT forward
Manager highlights striker's work ethic as cultural cornerstone
WHAT HAPPENED
Norwich City manager Liam Manning says the club wants to keep USMNT striker Josh Sargent but is preparing for all scenarios amid growing transfer speculation.
'Yeah, of course,' Manning said in his postmatch interview when asked if the club is prepared if Sargent leaves. 'I think you, not just with Josh now, I think you do that for every player. I think the best practice is to be proactive with the work you do...With the interest, you'd be mad to not do anything behind the scenes to be prepared. So, of course, we want him to stay, but we have to be prepared if it doesn't happen.'
Despite a disappointing 2-1 loss to Millwall in their season opener, Manning singled out Sargent for his individual contribution, noting how the striker's determined work ethic directly led to his goal.
'Yeah, he epitomized everything, for me, that we should build our culture on,' Manning added. 'I think, you know, the way he worked, the goal speaks volumes in terms of he's got no given right to score, but his attitude to lead the line, to compete, you know, he had a good scrap with (Jake) Cooper, I thought.
'And like you said, probably came out on top given the number of times he was fouled, even a bit at the end there. I felt for him a bit today cause he put in a huge amount of hard work and didn't receive a huge amount of quality.'
WHAT LIAM MANNING SAID
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Sargent finished the 2024-25 season with 20 goal contributions in 32 league appearances and has been heavily linked with a move away this summer. He has already, reportedly, turned down a move to Bundesliga club Wolfsburg.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Following their 2-1 loss to Millwall in their Championship season opener, Norwich City will face Watford in the first round of the EFL Cup on Aug. 12. They'll then face Portsmouth away from home on Aug. 15 in their second Championship game of the season.
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