Pundit urges Norwich City to snub Celtic, Adam Idah approach amid Josh Sargent news | OneFootball

Pundit Carlton Palmer believes Norwich City should keep hold of Adam Idah this summer if Josh Sargent leaves the club.

Norwich missed out on promotion as they suffered an emphatic 4-0 defeat against Leeds United at Elland Road in their play-off semi-final second leg at Elland Road on Thursday night, and head coach David Wagner was sacked the following morning.

It remains to be seen who will replace Wagner, but the new manager may have to contend with the departure of a number of key players this summer, including striker Sargent.

Despite missing over four months of the season through injury, Sargent enjoyed an outstanding campaign as he scored 16 goals and provided two assists in 30 appearances in all competitions, and his performances have not gone unnoticed.

Premier League duo Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford are both said to be interested in Sargent, while ex-Canaries boss Daniel Farke is reportedly keen on a reunion with the 24-year-old at Leeds this summer.

Norwich will be reluctant to lose Sargent, but it seems likely their resolve will be tested, and they are also facing a big decision over the future of Idah, who has impressed since joining Celtic on loan in January.

After Idah helped them to the Scottish Premiership title, Celtic are preparing a bid for the striker, who is valued at £5 million by Norwich, and he is thought to be keen to make a permanent move to Glasgow.

Palmer: Norwich should keep Idah if Sargent departs this summer

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer said that Norwich should look to retain Idah if Sargent was to depart this summer, but he admitted that the Irishman may be unhappy if he is denied a permanent move to Celtic.

"Norwich City not getting promoted has caused them a problem with their star striker Josh Sargent," Palmer said.

"He's been outstanding for Norwich since he joined in 2021.

"He's being coveted at the moment by the likes of Brentford, who are looking at him as a replacement for Ivan Toney.

"That presents them with a problem because they allowed Adam Idah to go on loan to Celtic, where he's found his feet and his form. "The problem is now, there was a deal agreed for him to go to Celtic, but I think that deal will hinge on whether Josh Sargent exits the club or not. "If Josh Sargent exits the club, they cannot afford to lose Adam Idah, and I think Norwich would bring him back and hope that he can replicate the outstanding form he's shown at Celtic. "It seems more inevitable than not that Josh Sargent will be leaving the football club this summer given all the interest, and so then it makes it very, very difficult to see Adam Idah leave the football club as well. "With Adam getting his confidence back, he could be outstanding in the Championship next season. "It's a very difficult situation because the player has gone there and done well, and if Celtic want to pursue the option to bring him to the club, the player is not going to be happy if he is not allowed to leave.

"But he is under contract at Norwich, so they call the shots."

Norwich City should give Adam Idah a chance next season

It is set to be a summer of change for Norwich, with the appointment of a new manager and a potentially significant rebuild of the squad.

As Palmer says, Sargent's exit looks inevitable after the Canaries failed to win promotion, and they could also be vulnerable to losing the likes of Gabriel Sara and Jon Rowe.

Sargent's departure would leave Norwich incredibly light in the forward areas, and it would be tough for them to replace his goals, but Idah could step up next season.

Idah was mostly limited to substitute appearances in the first half of the season prior to his move to Celtic, but he still managed to score six goals, and his strong return of eight goals during his loan spell with the Hoops suggests he could be capable of causing problems in the Championship next season.

The 23-year-old is said to want to join Celtic permanently this summer, but he is under contract at Carrow Road until 2028, and if he is given guarantees of regular game time, he would surely be happy to remain in Norfolk.