Transaction tracker: Toronto FC agrees to deal for Josh Sargent
The laborious and protracted transfer saga of Josh Sargent has finally ended with Toronto FC getting their man.
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Feb. 20, 2026: TFC secures Josh Sargent in transfer deal
Toronto FC have come to terms with Norwich City over a transfer for U.S. international forward Josh Sargent, a source confirmed to TFC Republic. The same source said that Sargent will travel to North America in order to undergo his medical and finalize personal terms with the Reds.
Quick analysis: The laborious and protracted transfer saga of Josh Sargent has finally ended with Toronto FC getting their man.
Norwich had declined Toronto’s original $18 million US bid, feeling that the MLS club's offer didn't meet its evaluation of Sargent, who was under contract through 2028. The Athletic's Tom Bogart is reporting that Norwich and Toronto finally came to terms on a fee in the neighbourhood of $22 million US. That would make it the third largest transfer fee ever paid by an MLS club, behind only Son Heung-min ($26.5 million, LAFC) and Emmanuel Latte Lath ($22 million, Atlanta United).
We won't go over the whole back story about Sargent putting in a transfer request, refusing to play in an FA Cup game and being frozen out by Norwich City, as that's already been covered by this website. Instead, we'll focus on what this move means for Toronto FC.
TFC was tied for the third worst attacking record in MLS last season with 37 goals. None of their forwards scored more than four times. Winger Theo Corbeanu was the club's top scorer with six goals.
Toronto GM Jason Hernandez said at the conclusion of the campaign that securing a DP attacker would be a top priority ahead of the 2026 MLS season. Sargent fits that bill as he has 56 goals in 157 games for Norwich since joining the club in 2021.
The American's best season was in 2023-24 when he bagged 16 goals. In 2024-25, he scored 15 goals and was named to the English Championship's team of the season. He had seven goals in 22 games this season before being benched by the club – his last appearance for Norwich was on Jan. 4. Previously, Sargent scored 11 goals in 83 games across all competitions for Borussia Dortmund of the Bundesliga.
So, he has a proven track record as a consistent goal scorer at a high level, which is exactly what Toronto FC needs. The native of Missouri is an aggressive and physical attacker, which should make him a good fit for Robin Fraser's playing style.
TFC have been down this road before, splashing huge amounts of money on players from clubs from abroad who don't work out. Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi (to a lesser extent) were washouts in MLS, so much so that Toronto bought both of them out of their contracts last summer.
But the Sargent signing could be different. For starters, he'll be motivated to do well during his first stint in MLS, eager to earn a spot on the U.S. squad for this summer's FIFA World Cup. Sargent has five goals in 29 games for his country, with his last cap coming in September 2025. But his previous goal for the U.S. came in 2019 and he's not a lock for the World Cup roster as several other forwards have moved ahead of him in the team's depth chart.
Second, Sargent celebrated his 26th birthday on Friday, which means he has plenty of gas left in the tank and Toronto is getting a player who probably hasn't even hit his peak.
You might recall that Sebastian Giovinco was 27, Michael Bradley was 26 and Jozy Altidore was 25 when they signed with TFC. All three players went on to become monumental figures for the club. Given Sargent's age and profile, he has the potential to have the same impact.
Make no mistake about it, Sargent will immediately become the focal point of Toronto FC alongside Djordje Mihailovic. MLSE has spent big money to bring both players to the club, and they want to see a return on their investment. That means, at the very least, a playoff appearance for the Reds in 2o26.
This transfer suggests also that MLSE was unfazed by the debacle with the Italian DPs, as it didn't bat an eye when it came to spending big on Sargent.
As for Hernandez, he's accomplished a lot since last summer, from ushering out both Insigne and Bernardeschi, bringing in Mihailovic, getting out from several bad contracts he inherited (Sigurd Rosted and Raoul Petretta) and now landing Sargent.
(Top photo by Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
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