Spanish team Girona is reportedly interested in signing Norwich City striker Borja Sainz, but FLW’s Canaries fan analyst questions whether the La Liga team could afford to acquire the Championship’s top scorer during the January transfer window.
Even though Norwich is now only in 11th place, Sainz has been an outstanding player in the second division thus far this season, with 15 league goals that put him atop the scoring rankings.
Due to his outstanding performances, the versatile forward has naturally drawn transfer interest this month; according to Fichajes, Girona is the most recent team to add his name to their list of possible targets.
Given that Sainz is still only 23 years old and might only get better with time, it is not surprising that the same news source states that it will likely cost between €20 and €25 million (£16.9 million and £21.1 million) to remove him from Carrow Road this month.
A Norwich City supporter questions whether Girona can afford Sainz Borja
Sainz hasn’t scored in any of his past eight games, and his season has recently stalled. He also faces a six-match suspension after confessing to spitting at Sunderland’s Chris Mepham in December.
Given that he was outstanding in the first 18 league games of the season, won the Championship Player of the Month title in both September and October, and recorded 15 goals and two assists, teams are still interested in signing him.
Zeke Downes, FLW’s Canaries fan pundit, has moved to downplay rumours of Girona’s interest, raising doubts about whether they could match the amount the Canaries are likely to demand for his services. Norwich will undoubtedly not want to lose their key man this month as Johannes Hoff Thorup’s team looks to advance through the play-offs.
Despite this, Downes would be happy to see Sainz transferred if a £20 million offer were made since he isn’t giving his all in some areas of his game.
Zeke told FLW, “I am not surprised that Borja Sainz is receiving some interest, especially from Spain.”
It’s challenging since it all comes down to the amount of money they would give. I don’t think Girona will be able to pay the sum we’re requesting.
“I would definitely accept a £20 million deal if it were made to us. Because, despite his skill, Sainz doesn’t have much of an impact on the game when he doesn’t score.
It’s not like he’s receiving a tonne of assists either; he’s a goal scorer, which is unusual for a winger. Usually, it would be the other way around, with them having difficulty achieving their objectives.
Even though he is currently suspended, which isn’t ideal, I believe that if we receive an offer of £20 million or more, we should let him go while his stock is still high.
“I’m not sure if Spanish clubs will have that much money.”
In the past, Norwich has maintained that Borja Sainz is not for sale.
Although Sainz has started every game thus far and played 98% of the Championship minutes, it is unclear how Norwich would do without him in the league this season. However, it will become clear as soon as his ban starts.
Even though he has recently lost his form, it is clear why the Canaries want to retain him around until the conclusion of the season because his contributions account for 42% of all 43 goals the team has scored in the league thus far.
After a stellar 2023–24 season in which they finished third in La Liga, Girona has a strong appeal to prospective new players. However, they have been a little less impressive this time around and currently sit eighth in the Spanish top division.
It’s unclear if Sainz would wish to return to his home country in the middle of the season, but Canaries manager Mark Attanasio has previously stated unequivocally that the team has no immediate plans to let go of the 23-year-old.
“Borja doesn’t have to be sold in January. In November, he told the PinkUn, “To be honest, we never need to sell them.”
When it comes to our players’ outcomes, we are in charge of what we can control.
“It’s just at some point there’s an element of fairness, if I understand the ecosystem, where if you’re getting offered a very fair price, and it doesn’t have to be an extreme price, and it’s something that someone wants to do then you have to look at it.”
Given that Sainz still has 18 months left on his Norwich contract, they are naturally not in a haste to sell, and contract talks are scheduled for the summer.
Given that the Canaries want to stay in Europe this season, Girona might entice them with a sizable offer for his services this month. However, it is unlikely that he will leave Carrow Road unless they receive an incredible offer in the coming weeks.
