Spanish club Girona has reportedly set its sights on Norwich City's talented winger Borja Sainz, following a series of impressive performances that have seen him emerge as one of the Championship's leading scorers this season. Sources from Spain indicate that Sainz has become a primary target for Girona as they look to bolster their squad.
At just 23 years of age, Sainz has quickly established himself as a pivotal figure for Norwich, having found the back of the net 15 times this season. His remarkable form has inevitably sparked speculation about his future, particularly as he approaches the final 18 months of his contract at Carrow Road. Interest in Sainz extends beyond Girona, with clubs from the Premier League, Turkey, and other Spanish teams also reportedly keeping a close eye on his situation. According to Fichajes, Girona has formally added Sainz to their list of potential signings.
Norwich City has set a valuation of between £20 million and £25 million for the winger, as they aim to retain his services during the upcoming January transfer window. However, it is worth noting that Sainz is currently serving a six-match suspension after accepting a charge for spitting during a recent encounter against Sunderland.
In addition to Girona, several other clubs, including Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid, and Villarreal, have shown interest in acquiring the versatile attacker. Sainz joined Norwich from Turkish side Giresunspor on a free transfer in 2023 and has made a significant impact since his arrival.
As part of the City Group, Girona is keen to enhance their attacking options as they pursue a successful campaign in La Liga, where they currently occupy seventh place and are competing for a spot in European competitions next season, trailing Mallorca and Villarreal.
Mark Attansio, who is set to become Norwich's majority shareholder, has firmly dismissed the idea of selling Sainz in the January transfer window. Following the club's Annual General Meeting in November, he stated, "We don't need to sell Borja in January. Frankly, we don't need to sell them ever. We can control what we can control, in regards to what happens to our players."
Attansio acknowledged Sainz's significance to the team, remarking, "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."
He further praised Sainz's commitment, noting, "Borja's been great for us, right? I was meeting lots of people on this trip and (at Colney) there's a chart for all the players and appearances they've made. Nobody in this club has made more appearances than Borja Sainz."
Attansio concluded by emphasising the player's character and work ethic, stating, "I said to the people there, 'Wow, that's great because he's working really hard. Does he ever say no when it comes to hard work?' He is a great character, and if at some point he wants to move on then you look at that. But, you know, January would be a little too early for us, I think."
As the January transfer window approaches, Norwich City will undoubtedly be keen to retain Sainz, whose contributions have been invaluable to their campaign thus far.