Norwich City have gone the entire summer of 2026 without replacing Josh Sargent, and as things stand on 14th July, Philippe Clement still doesn’t have a recognised new centre-forward at his disposal. This guide brings together everything that has happened in Norwich’s search for a No.9 since the Sargent void opened up — the bids that failed, the names that went quiet, and the in-house options Clement may end up trusting instead.
It is worth being precise about one thing from the start: Sargent’s move to Toronto FC was completed back in February 2026, in the middle of last season, not this summer. The striker search has therefore been running for months already, and Norwich head into pre-season with the position still unresolved.
The Sargent Sale That Started It All
Sargent left Norwich for Major League Soccer side Toronto FC in a deal completed on 27th February 2026. Toronto made him a Designated Player on a contract running through the 2030-31 MLS season. The fee has been reported differently across outlets — ESPN and the Guardian both reported a package in the region of $22m, potentially rising to around $27m with add-ons, while Read Norwich’s own coverage has put the sterling equivalent at around £16m, while noting the club have not confirmed an exact figure. Either way, it ranks among the largest fees ever paid for a departure from a Norwich player and among the biggest incoming transfer fees in MLS history. Sargent leaves with 55 goals and 15 assists in all competitions across his Carrow Road career.
The move did not come together smoothly. Toronto’s interest dated back to December 2025 with an opening bid in the region of $18m, and according to ESPN’s reporting, talks between the two clubs turned tense in January before the fee was eventually agreed in February. Sargent did not feature for Norwich’s first team again once the situation became public, training instead with the club’s Under-21s in the weeks before the move was finalised. That backdrop is part of why the centre-forward vacancy has felt like such a live issue for so long — Norwich effectively lost their first-choice striker’s involvement well before the fee was actually banked.
Kasper Høgh: The One That Got Away On Price
Norwich’s most concrete move for a replacement came in January 2026, when the club had a bid in the region of £7m rejected by Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt for striker Kasper Høgh. What killed the move for good wasn’t a change of heart on either side — it was Høgh’s own form. His performances in the Champions League, including goals against Manchester City and Atlético Madrid as Bodø/Glimt reached the last 16, sent his valuation soaring to a reported £13m-£15m region, comfortably out of range for a Championship club working within tightening financial rules. Høgh has since been linked with Premier League interest instead, and there is no indication Norwich are still in the race.
The Names That Faded: Taylor, Jebbison And Tolaj
Beyond Høgh, three other forwards have been credited with Norwich interest at various points without anything advancing. Huddersfield Town’s Joe Taylor, a Norfolk-born forward who came through Norwich’s own academy as a boy, was linked back in March while enjoying a productive loan spell at Wigan Athletic, but nothing has been reported since and he does not feature in Read Norwich’s most recent transfer tracker. Daniel Jebbison, on loan from Bournemouth at Preston North End last season, was named among a long list of Championship clubs credited with loan interest in June, but Blackburn Rovers were reported to have moved ahead of the queue by the end of that month. Plymouth Argyle’s Lorent Tolaj, a Swiss forward under contract until 2029, was also linked from the spring onward, but that trail too has gone quiet since late June. None of these three should be treated as live Norwich targets based on the most recent reporting.
So Has Norwich Signed A Striker This Summer?
No. Read Norwich’s own transfer tracker was explicit on 13th July: no verified centre-forward target has been confirmed. Norwich’s three permanent or loan additions this summer — centre-back Bruno Alves, midfielder Sam Field and winger Andre Brooks — have addressed other areas of the pitch, not the No.9 position Sargent vacated back in February. The club’s search for a new left-back has, if anything, taken priority in the club’s public transfer messaging over the centre-forward search in recent weeks.
The In-House Alternative: Can Clement Promote From Within?
With no external arrival imminent, Norwich’s most realistic short-term source of centre-forward reinforcement may be their own treatment room. Jovon Makama, sidelined for five months by a serious foot injury, made his first appearance since recovery in the pre-season friendly against Colchester United and is expected to get more minutes against St Gallen. Ante Crnac, a £8.5m signing from Rakow Częstochowa in 2024, missed the entirety of last season with a serious knee injury and is only now getting a proper look under Clement — pre-season effectively doubles as his first real audition for the manager. Mohamed Touré, who represented Australia at the 2026 World Cup before returning to Colney, adds further attacking depth once he is reintegrated, though managing his fatigue after international duty is its own challenge with the Championship season starting quickly.
What Happens Next
Norwich open their Championship campaign at home to West Brom on Saturday 15th August, with the domestic transfer window running until 1st September. That gives Clement a three-week window after the season starts to still add a striker if the right value opportunity appears, but it also means Norwich could realistically start the season with Makama, Crnac and Touré as their senior centre-forward options rather than a fresh signing — a scenario that looked unlikely when Sargent’s sale was first confirmed back in February, but one that is now a real possibility.
Norwich City’s Striker Search: State Of Play
| Name | Club | Status (14 July 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Kasper Høgh | Bodø/Glimt (Norway) | Dead — priced out after Champions League form |
| Joe Taylor | Huddersfield Town (loan: Wigan Athletic) | Quiet since March; not in current tracker |
| Daniel Jebbison | Bournemouth (loan: Preston North End) | Reported to have moved to Blackburn’s favour |
| Lorent Tolaj | Plymouth Argyle | Quiet since late June |
| Jovon Makama | Norwich City (in-house) | Back from injury, building minutes in pre-season |
| Ante Crnac | Norwich City (in-house) | First proper look under Clement after injury-hit 2025/26 |
Norwich City Striker Search: Facts
Has Norwich signed a new centre-forward this summer? No, not as of 14th July 2026.
When did Josh Sargent actually leave? His move to Toronto FC was completed on 27th February 2026, during last season, not this summer’s window.
Is Kasper Høgh still a target? No. His valuation rose sharply after a strong Champions League campaign, and there is no recent reporting linking Norwich to a move.
Who could play centre-forward for Norwich if no one else is signed? Jovon Makama and Ante Crnac, both returning from significant injuries, and Mohamed Touré, are the club’s senior in-house options heading into the new season.
This piece will be updated if Norwich’s striker search produces a breakthrough before the transfer window closes.
