Chris Sutton tells Josh Sargent what to do with his Norwich City future as Leeds United and Nottingham Forest lurk | OneFootball

Former Norwich City striker Chris Sutton has encouraged Josh Sargent to leave Carrow Road following yet another impressive campaign

Former Norwich City striker Chris Sutton has urged Josh Sargent to seal a big-money move away from Carrow Road this summer amid ever-intensifying transfer speculation.

Sargent has been a consistent star in the Championship over the last three seasons, having first joined the Canaries for a reported £8 million fee from Werder Bremen back in 2021 while they were in the Premier League.

The United States international has only made 25 Championship appearances this season through injury, but has established himself as arguably the division's finest frontman and has enjoyed excellent form when fully fit.

Sargent took his tally to 13 goals for the season by scoring a 92nd-minute winner in Norwich's 1-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion on the weekend, while he has also added five assists in what has been his joint-most productive campaign in a Canaries shirt.

Naturally, the 25-year-old has been the subject of speculation in recent times. Reports have linked the likes of Everton, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest to his signature, while a number of undisclosed Premier League and Bundesliga clubs are also said to hold an interest.

Sargent, who is reportedly valued at between €15-20 million (£12.6-£16.8 million) by Norwich, recently stopped short of playing down a potential departure from Carrow Road this summer, and with Johannes Hoff Thorup's side set to miss out on a play-off finish come next month, there is a growing sense of inevitability among supporters that this season will be his last at the club.

Chris Sutton urges Josh Sargent to leave Norwich City this summer for a mid-table Premier League side

Sutton, who scored 35 times for Norwich between 1991 and 1994 before leaving for Blackburn Rovers, has encouraged Sargent to consider his career ambitions and secure a move away from Norfolk this summer.

In Sutton's view, the forward could be well-served by joining a mid-table Premier League side first. That could make him a shrewd fit for David Moyes' Everton, who are 15th with just nine games to spare, while Leeds will also harbour ambitions of establishing themselves back in the top-flight if they gain promotion amid a recent topple.

Sutton wrote in his column for The Pink Un: "Josh Sargent is the best striker in the Championship - now it's time for him to try and challenge himself at a higher level than Norwich City.

"That won't be a popular statement amongst the fanbase, and there will undoubtedly and understandably be a desire to keep hold of Sargent, but he has outgrown them, and it's time for him to take the next step in his career.

"Increasingly, it feels less like if Sargent goes - but when, where, and for how much? He has three years left on his contract, and Norwich will be in a strong position to receive a sizeable fee for his services.

"From the club's point of view, they will bang that drum that 'we're ambitious, we've got a new model that we want to build, and we want Josh to be the centrepiece of all that', but it doesn't work like that.

"Football is a short career in the main and you have to strike while the iron's hot as a player. Sargent will undoubtedly have a lot of suitors.

"There will certainly be clubs in the Premier League and on the continent who will have a really keen interest in him.

In terms of purely the Premier League, I think he'd have to go to a mid-table club, do well there to make that stepping stone, and then see whether he can eventually cut it at the very highest level. That should be his ambition.

Chris Sutton understands reasons why Josh Sargent may look for Norwich City transfer exit

Sutton, like many, believes that Sargent has outgrown the Championship and will naturally be looking to test himself at a higher level next season.

Indeed, the ex-striker has urged Sargent to "not waste his time" with the Canaries for another season, instead calling for him to push on with his career with his international aspirations also in mind ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in USA, Canada and Mexico.

Sutton understands exactly why Sargent could look for an exit and Norwich are well-versed in having to sell prized assets in recent times, such as Jon Rowe, Gabriel Sara, James Maddison, Ben Godfrey, Emi Buendia and both Jacob and Josh Murphy.

"While I understand his value to Norwich, he won't want to be in a position where he gets stale with it," Sutton continued.

"That's a decision only he can make. He's shown great loyalty. He has shown he can score goals at Championship level. He doesn't need to prove it again.

"I don't think there's a Norwich City supporter out there who wouldn't understand the position he's in. I'm afraid that in the cold light of the day, the club don't seem like they're going to match his ambitions as a player, and they can't currently match his level of quality, much like with James Maddison a few years ago.

"I love Norwich, but he can't waste his time playing another season here when the truth is that neither we nor Johannes Hoff Thorup know what we're going to get from week to week. There is no guarantee that next season will be a better one.

"I'm not one of those who think that just because a player says that he wants to go, you have to sell them, but I do believe there comes a time when there's a natural moment for a player to move on. This is the time for Sargent.

"You always have die-hard fans who say, 'You should never leave' and 'They're traitors'. But what would they do in his position?

He's in his mid-twenties, coming to the peak of his career and has really improved as a player. He has improved the team. You can't begrudge a player wanting to play at the highest possible level.

"This is a guy who's given the club great service and carried them in terms of his goals and all-round play for a good while now. He had to step into Teemu Pukki's shoes as a central striker, which was never going to be easy.

"He has now outgrown the club as a player, and everybody can see that. It's time for everyone involved -club, fans, and player - to shake hands and for him to leave amicably.

"Sargent has all the attributes to show that he can be a really accomplished Premier League striker or in any top league across Europe. Now is the time for him to strike. I'd be a bit disappointed if he went back to the MLS. He's talked about challenging himself. That's not to disrespect the MLS, but it's not the Premier League, La Liga, or even the Bundesliga.

"It would be an understandable step for his family, and you have to put that first, but I'd like to see him given a go in the Premier League. I wouldn't rule out any club from outside the supposed 'big six'. Josh could cut the mustard at any of them.

He needs to go to that club and the Premier League where it can be possibly a stepping stone for him to then go on to greater things.

"Sargent also has an upcoming home World Cup on the horizon. I highly doubt that Mauricio Pochettino or the USA will want him pottering about in the Championship again.