Josh Sargent’s relationship with Norwich City is over. Soon after the club posted a notably blunt birthday message to the striker, the 26-year-old completed his long-desired return to MLS with Toronto FC.
The USMNT forward celebrated his birthday on Friday, but Norwich’s social media tribute raised eyebrows. The Canaries shared a photo of Sargent alongside the caption: “Josh Sargent turns 26 today 🎈” — with no accompanying “happy birthday” message or celebratory wording.
Josh Sargent turns 26 today 🎈 pic.twitter.com/limtCVHPWV
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) February 20, 2026
Soon after the birthday ‘wish’, Sargent got his long-awaited wish of returning to MLS. Reports in England state that a fee north of £20m ($27m) has been agreed between Norwich and Toronto.
The MLS season kicks off this weekend, and the timing of the deal would allow Sargent to slot straight into Toronto’s plans.
Sargent has been pushing for the move since January, and tensions became public earlier this year. The striker refused to feature in Norwich’s FA Cup clash against Walsall, as he pushed for a move away from the club.
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Head coach Philippe Clement addressed the situation on January 11 following Norwich’s 5-1 victory.
“Josh sent me a message (on Saturday) evening saying he would not be available because of transfer things in his head,” Clement said.
“This is obviously not something we want, and will have consequences. It is something we need to speak about inside the club, but the club has made it really clear to Josh and his agent that he will not be leaving during this transfer window.”
Despite that firm stance at the time, it brought no resolution to the feud, and Sargent has eventually gotten his wish.
The MLS club posted a birthday wish of their own later in the day, clearly aimed at Sargent, with a birthday cake and salute emoji ahead of official confirmation.
🎂🫡
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) February 20, 2026