Josh Sargent Joins Toronto FC for £20M
U.S. international Josh Sargent completed a move from Norwich City to MLS side Toronto FC for over £20 million, signing a five-year contract as a designated player. Sargent netted 56 goals in 157 appearances for Norwich and becomes a centerpiece of Toronto's ambitious rebuild.
The transfer fee is a new club record for Toronto FC, reported at an initial $22 million, which could rise with add-ons. To complete the signing, Toronto also sent $500,000 in General Allocation Money to St. Louis City SC, who held Sargent's right of first refusal. Sargent's move follows a contentious departure from Norwich City, where the striker was exiled to the under-21 squad. The 26-year-old reportedly made himself unavailable for an FA Cup match in January in an effort to force the transfer to his preferred destination, Toronto. This signing is a cornerstone of a significant overhaul for Toronto FC, a team that has missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons. The club is moving on from the expensive and unsuccessful "Italian era" of Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi, whose contracts were terminated in July 2025. As a Designated Player, Sargent's salary exists largely outside of MLS's strict salary cap, a mechanism known as the "Beckham Rule". This rule allows teams to sign up to three high-profile players to contracts that exceed the league's maximum budget charge. The Missouri native was a member of the U.S. squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, appearing in all three group stage matches. However, he has not scored an international goal for the USMNT since November 2019. Sargent began his European career in Germany with Werder Bremen, famously scoring with his first touch just two minutes into his 2018 debut, the fastest goal by a debutant in the club's history. Norwich City later acquired him from the German club in 2021 for a fee of approximately €9.5 million.
