Josh Sargent leaves Norwich City for Major League Soccer's Toronto in messy departure

United States's Josh Sargent looks on prior to a friendly soccer match against Japan, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, file)

Josh Sargent joined Toronto from Norwich City in England’s second-tier League Championship on Friday, ending a difficult situation in which the striker was exiled to the under-21 squad after he refused to play in an FA Cup match last month.

Sargent, 26, was signed as a designated player through the 2030-31 Major League Soccer season. He had eight goals this season and 56 goals in 157 appearances with the Canaries overall.

“Regardless of the manner of his departure, Josh has been a significant part of the club’s recent story, contributing greatly and captaining the team on many occasions,” Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper said in a statement. ”He now moves on and we wish him well for his next step, and for his future beyond.”

Sargent is a Missouri native who signed with Germany’s Werder Bremen in 2018 and joined Norwich three years later. A member of the 2022 U.S. World Cup team, he appears to be behind Folarin Balogun, Haji Wright, Ricardo Pepi and Patrick Agyemang in the competition for forward spots on the 2026 World Cup roster.

“He brings high-level experience in some of the strongest leagues in the world and international pedigree at just 26 years old. He is a proven goal scorer, with a winning mentality and the intelligence that will lead our attack for years to come,” Toronto general manager Jason Hernandez said. “Josh will just begin to enter the prime of his career while representing our club and our city.”

Sargent has five goals in 29 international appearances, scoring in his U.S. debut against Bolivia on May 28, 2018. He played in all three group stage matches at the 2022 World Cup.

But he hasn’t scored an international goal since November 2019 and was not on the U.S. roster for last summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. His last international appearance was when he started in a September friendly against South Korea.

Toronto acquired St. Louis’ right of first refusal for Sargent in exchange for $500,000 in General Allocation Money over the next two years and additional funds if performance metrics are met.

Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press