Josh Sargent has already matched amazing Jarrod Bowen feat as West Ham plot transfer
West Ham’s desire to sign a striker was made clear during their 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa at the London Stadium.
For the second game in a row, Nuno Espirito Santo decided against selecting a natural number nine, instead preferring Lucas Paqueta as a false nine with Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville either side of him.
The Portuguese started with Callum Wilson on the bench, despite his immediate impact in West Ham’s 1-1 draw against Brighton, whilst Niclas Fullkrug was left out of the squad completely.
Fullkrug is likely to leave West Ham in January and has attracted interest from multiple European clubs, most notably AC Milan.
But regardless of whether the German departs the London Stadium, the Hammers’ need for a centre-forward is pressing.
Josh Sargent has already matched Jarrod Bowen’s Championship feat
A number of names have been linked with a switch to East London next month, none more so than Norwich City striker Josh Sargent.
West Ham are reportedly readying a £17.5million bid for Sargent, seeing the 25-year-old’s physical strength and experience of English football as an ideal fit for their forward line.
Since moving to Carrow Road in 2021, the USMNT international has developed into one of the Championship’s best forwards.
| Josh Sargent’s Championship record | Season |
| 20 games, 6 goals* | 2025/26 |
| 32 games, 15 goals | 2024/25 |
| 26 games, 16 goals | 2023/24 |
| 40 games, 13 goals | 2022/23 |
Sargent has fired double figures for goals in three successive games, and as it stands, he will make it a fourth in 2025/26.
That is a feat Bowen managed before joining from Hull City in January 2020, hitting double figures in the 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 as a right winger, making the achievement even more impressive.
Therefore, if West Ham do snap up Sargent, he could follow in Bowen’s footsteps and translate his clinical edge across to the Premier League.
What Liam Manning has said about Sargent
It’s been a dismal campaign for Norwich. The Canaries were expected to challenge for the play-offs, but instead, they’re embroiled in a relegation battle and are currently three points adrift of safety.
Naturally, Sargent’s goalscoring exploits have suffered during his team’s struggles, but he’s still the ‘best’ Championship striker, according to manager Liam Manning.
“His record speaks for itself – I think he is the best Championship striker,” Manning said in August after the forward scored his 50th Norwich goal.
“He was first-class in how he led the line and long may it continue.”
Norwich’s position in the table doesn’t help their case in holding onto Sargent, and West Ham could seal a January move for him.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest West Ham United news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @westhamzone247