Norwich chief admits 'big interest' in Sargent

Josh Sargent played in Norwich's pre-season friendly against Northampton Town

Sporting director Ben Knapper has assured Norwich City fans that Josh Sargent will be replaced if "big interest" in the striker brings big transfer bids.

The Canaries are understood to have held talks with Burnley and Wolfsburg about the USA international, who is under contract until 2028.

Knapper spoke to City fans at Carrow Road on Tuesday as part of a special summer episode of BBC Radio Norfolk's Scrimmage show, and was asked if the 25-year-old would be staying.

"We don't know at this point, there's big interest in the player," Knapper said.

"As of now, no, is the answer, but of course there is big interest in the player, I think that is well known.

"As always with these things it has to work for everyone. Josh is always going to command big interest. There is big clubs in the big five leagues who are expressing a lot of interest in him and he is also ambitious.

"We're ambitious as a club and we try to attract ambitious players and then it's difficult for us to hold that against them.

"It has to work for us. At the minute nothing has, he's a Norwich player and I'll just turn my phone off for the next few weeks and [hope] that will remain so."

City's football chief was alongside head coach Liam Manning, majority shareholder Mark Attanasio and executive director Zoe Webber for the event.

And while Knapper could not provide clarity on Sargent's situation, he did state that the recent £6.9m addition of Denmark forward Mathias Kvistgaarden was not a pre-emptive replacement for the American.

"There's definitely going to be more activity in the front line, even if Josh doesn't go," Knapper said.

"So we're not done in terms of our transfer activity, there's still things that we're working on.

"There's still going to be movement on the way in, even if there are no other outs because we still feel like we want to add at least another option or two in wide areas to give us flexibility in terms of how we attack.

"But of course if we were to lose another offensive player then we would add again."

Norwich City sporting director Ben Knapper, left, spoke to Canaries fans at a special Scrimmage event at Carrow Road

Kvistgaarden, 23, has been the eye-catching signing of the summer so far for Norwich.

It follows the recruitment of Manning from Bristol City with the hope of bouncing back from a disappointing 13th place in the Championship last season.

The Norwich-born head coach said Kvistgaarden coming in showed the ambition of the club.

"When I first joined, he was one of the first ones that Ben (Knapper) and Lee (Dunn, head of recruitment) put in front of me and I'm super excited by him," Manning said.

"[He is] a great indicator about the ambition that we are trying to have, that we are able to attract someone of that level, with the level of interest that he had.

"You'll be surprised when you see him. He's 5ft 9ins but when you see him run, jump, he scores a lot of headers which for someone of his size is quite unusual.

"But great energy, a big character, part of him coming was the challenge of making him better, so he's really aware of his career and where he's at so super excited by him.

"He'll obviously have to get used to the Championship, which is a different beast, so our job is to manage him, support him, and give him everything he needs to deliver."

Click here to watch the summer Scrimmage special back in full.