Norwich City facing big transfer battle involving Borja Sainz | OneFootball

It may prove difficult for Norwich City to keep Borja Sainz in January.

Norwich City faced a challenging summer transfer window, losing several key players to clubs across Europe.

Jon Rowe made the move to Marseille, Abu Kamara joined Hull City, Gabriel Sara signed for Galatasaray, and Adam Idah returned to Celtic.

This has likely contributed to an inconsistent start to the season, as Johannes Hoff Thorup has his side sitting in 14th place at present. At times, they've been electrifying with superb results against the likes of Hull and Watford, but that has been neglected by disappointing defeats to Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday.

However, many will argue that they have the best player in the Championship in Borja Sainz. The Spaniard has been superb, netting 11 goals in 15 games to this point, and is frightening the life out of Championship defences as he has the ability to score from anywhere on the pitch.

However, these performances have caught the eye of other clubs and when January arrives, Norwich may be hard-pushed to try to keep their number seven.

Borja Sainz interest has already arrived

Having made such a strong start to the 2024-25 campaign, it is no surprise to see clubs beginning to circle around Sainz.

Galatasaray are reported to be an interested party, and having signed Sara from the Canaries in the summer will be confident that they can once again strike a deal.

Outside of that, in his home country of Spain, Radio Popular de Bilbao are reporting that Atlético Madrid, Athletic Club and Villarreal are all interested in a move for the player.

At present, it is understood that Diego Simeone's side are his preferred destination, which is no surprise given their historic stature in LaLiga. However, a move to Bilbao would also be logical, as the club’s unique transfer policy of signing only players from the Basque Country often drives them to go to extraordinary lengths to secure local talent like Sainz.

This interest from high-profile clubs could make it difficult to retain the 23-year-old, and if Norwich can't start moving up that league table it will only weaken their bargaining position.

Tough stance required on Norwich's star player

Sainz took his time adapting to English football, but come the end of last season, he began to show Norwich fans what he was all about. A string of good performances helped them secure play-off football in 23-24, and he has taken his game to another level this season.

His finishing ability from outside the box is incomparable to any other player in the second tier, and he has earned the Canaries results they may not have had without him.

This means when the January window arrives, the Norwich City board must set a price and stick to it. When FLW spoke to Carlton Palmer last week, he believed they should ask for £25 million, which would make sense given the winter transfer period usually inflating prices.

However, with just 18 months left on his current deal, his contract situation will have to be resolved soon, or they risk losing him for a minimal fee.

With Josh Sargent out injured until the new year, the onus will be placed on Sainz to have them in a good position going into 2025.

However, if they're not in and around the top ten, then Sainz may seek a move away and with his contract running out in June 2026, the Canaries won't get the money that a player of his quality deserves.