I'll preface this by saying that I'm probably spouting a load of bollocks and have no idea how any of this really works, but with all the talk of Josh Sargent leaving this summer, I fully expect him to still be here come the end of the window on September 1st.
The main reason people seem to keep citing about why he'll go is to increase his chances of getting into the USMNT, but I don't see how that makes any sense.
Mauricio Pochettino has managed in England for seven years or so, and in that time he'd have been well aware of the level of the Championship. There may be an increasing gap between the Premier League and Championship, but the Championship is still a very tough and physical league, and Poch will have experienced that in cup games, as well as presumably monitoring Championship players as potential signings.
Last season, Sargent was the 4th highest scorer in the league with 15, but he was out for half the season. When you consider the top scorer only bagged 19, if Josh had been fit all season he'd have been absolutely miles clear, in a very demanding league.
The move to Wolfsburg broke down, and Brentford seems to be the consensus on the type of Premier League club he'd be going to, if any. But I'm sorry, you can't convince me that playing for a club like Brentford, who are actually considered relegation fodder this season, or Wolfsburg who finished 11th last season and aren't exactly a top side, is all that's required of him for Poch to want to put him in the squad. I can't see his thought process being "he's banging in goals for fun but its in the Championship so isn't enough". I just don't believe he's that basic.
If we were talking about an "elite" national side, a France, Spain, Germany, then sure, I would understand that, because if you were good enough to make it into those sides you'd inherently be playing for a top club because you'd be good enough that those clubs would be after you. But that's the point - a club in the top division in its country isn't inherently a "top side". Nobody grows up with ambitions of playing for Brentford. And while there's plenty of international players at Norwich and indeed throughout the Championship, they're probably not playing for the likes of France and Spain, but they are playing for countries around the same level as the United States. So the fact he's playing in the Championship shouldn't make any difference.
If he goes to Brentford I think it would be safe to say he won't score as many as he has at Norwich and would likely get less game time, and let's be generous and say Brentford don't get relegated but finish 16-17th - you're telling me Poch would suddenly go "yes, now I want him" simply because he's played the season in the Premier League? I just don't see it. If he was tipped to be going to a top 6 club then it would be another matter, but it's Brentford. There's no way he goes from banging in goals for Norwich and doesn't make the squad but plays a bit part at Brentford and does.
Or put it another way. Let's say he moves to Brentford, bags a few goals, and regardless of whether they stay up, he then doesn't get into that squad - don't you think he'd regret it? I doubt he'd be loved the same way that he is at Norwich, and if it doesn't change the international squad status then what would have been the point besides a bigger bank balance? He doesn't strike me as the sort of player to move for money, so if the only carrot is the USMNT, what happens if that doesn't work out?
If he wants a move because he wants a move, which doesn't seem to be the case, then absolutely fair play to the man. But if it's as everybody says and his ambition is to play for his country and moving to the Premier League is the way to do that, I can't help but feel that you'd need to do a little better than Brentford.
Hopefully I don't need to retract this in a few days...