Norwich City remain firm on their plan to keep Borja Sainz this January, despite reports that he’s agreed to leave the Canaries for Turkish giants Galatasaray.
The winger had been linked with a move to Gala last month, with interest in him picking up after an impressive start to the Championship season and only 18 months left on his Carrow Road contract.
Well-followed X account Gala Haber has now stated that that’s turned to an agreement between the Super Lig champions and the Spaniard, claiming that he’s made his intentions clear even before discussing personal terms.
Any deal will need his current club’s approval first, however, and that appears to be the sticking point. The report says that City’s asking price is set at €22million, a figure Sainz’s suitors are unlikely to reach.
The plan remains to keep him in Norfolk beyond this winter, after soon-to-be majority shareholder Mark Attanasio set his stall out at the club’s AGM in November, telling the Pink Un there was no need to sell their star man in the upcoming transfer window.
“We don’t need to sell Borja in January. Frankly, we don’t need to sell him ever,” he said. “We can control what we can control, in regards what happens to our players.
“It’s just that at some point there’s an element of fairness. If I understand the ecosystem, 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.”
Sporting director Ben Knapper echoed Attanasio’s message to shareholders, as well as revealing that talks were ongoing with Sainz’s representatives over a new contract.
But that hasn’t stopped speculation, and Spanish side Athletic Bilbao have also been linked with the 23-year-old. Their sporting director Mikel Gonzalez has admitted that he’s a player of interest, but says their isn’t currently a space in the Athletic squad for him.
Norwich did business with Galatasaray as recently as the summer, selling talismanic midfielder Gabriel Sara in a deal worth more than £20million. He’s gone on to become a key player for his new side, registering two goals and five assists in 12 league appearances.