BBC NEWS: “£15 million” – Norwich City told to pursue Borja Sainz transfer in January 2025.
This post is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which features personal comments from FLW Fan Pundits on breaking news, teams, players, managers, possible signings, and more.
Borja Sainz, who has been a standout in the Championship and is rated at £15 million by Football League World’s Canaries fan analyst, is not expected to leave Norwich City in January.
Johannes Hoff Thorup was charged with overcoming hardship after being elected to the Carrow Road dugout in May. Star midfielder Gabriel Sara left for Galatasaray, while Jon Rowe and Abu Kamara were forced to transfer to Marseille and Hull City, respectively.
It was always going to be a difficult journey for the Dane, who lost three of his best and most valuable players – including two academy products in the same position on the left wing – while attempting to perform the necessary summer squad surgery to help Norwich build on last season’s play-off semi-final defeat and stake a Premier League return.
However, in Rowe and Kamara’s absence, Sainz has risen to the occasion wonderfully.
Understandable reservations were raised about Norwich’s ability to properly cover their left-sided flank vacuum, but none linger after the Spaniard’s outstanding start to the Championship campaign.
Sainz, who has scored seven goals, including a hat-trick against Derby County, and set up Marcelino Nunez and Josh Sargent in Norwich’s 4-0 win over Hull City, is largely responsible for the team’s seventh-place position heading into the October international break.
A £15 million transfer claim for Norwich City and Borja Sainz has been submitted ahead of the January window.
Naturally, there will be concern that Sainz will be lured away during the January transfer window. Indeed, that line of thought will only grow if his rich vein of form persists.
We asked our resident Norwich fan commentator, Zeke Downes, if he feels Sainz may leave the club in the next window and how much he would value the Spanish winger.
“Borja Sainz is likely to attract interest in January,” Zeke told Football League World.
“I’d be astonished if he didn’t receive any, because he leads the league in goal contributions and has taken his game to a new level.
| Borja Sainz’s 2024/25 Championship stats for Norwich City via FotMob, as of October 8 | |
| Appearances | 9 |
| Goals | 7 |
| xG | 4.41 |
| Shots | 28 |
| Assists | 2 |
| xA | 1.66 |
| Chances created | 11 |
| Successful dribbles | 17 |
| Dribble success rate | 47.2% |
| Touches in opposition box | 47 |
“I think if he can add assists, which he is starting to do with two over the weekend, he will undoubtedly draw interest.
“He needs to be one of the top players in the league, or I believe he will become one – perhaps not right now. But I don’t believe we have to be concerned about it [Sainz leaving Norwich] unless it’s a huge bid; we need him so we can charge more.
“After him, there aren’t many other possibilities, and if he gets hurt, we’re a little stuck, but in terms of pricing, I’d say £15 million.
“We aren’t going to accept anything, so I wouldn’t be worried about it.”
Norwich City must oppose any prospective Borja Sainz transfer offers.
Admittedly, the chance of losing Sainz in January becomes less likely when you consider the money Norwich generated from player sales during the summer, and Ben Knapper and co. will undoubtedly be opposed to losing yet another valued asset.
However, the prospect cannot be fully ruled out, and a number of Premier League vultures and foreign bidders may benefit from a mid-season move.
Sainz is now displaying form way above Championship level, and it would be surprising if he was not on multiple recruitment radars.
£15 million appears to be a respectable asking price, but Norwich should absolutely oppose any potential approaches. Sainz is critical to Hoff Thorup’s team, which is climbing the ladder and hopes to finish in the top six this season.
Their prospects of doing so would, of course, be significantly reduced if Sainz left, even if he brought in substantial reinvestment monies. However, it is difficult to see Norwich considering any proposals, which would constitute a significant success come January.
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