Arsenal have completed the signing of midfielder Christian Norgaard from Brentford in a deal worth up to £15m.
Norgaard has signed a two-year deal with the option of the third and is the club’s third signing of the summer.
Sky Sports News reported last month that they agreed a £15m deal with Brentford to sign the defensive midfielder. That deal is broken up into a guaranteed £10m plus £5m in add-ons.
The prospect of playing in the Champions League was a big factor in Norgaard making the switch across London to Arsenal.
He said: “You can get almost emotional because maybe it was a dream that I’ve given a little bit up on coming towards the later stage in my career.
“I’ve just turned 31 and had signed a new deal with Brentford. Of course, there’s always a little chance that a miracle could happen with Brentford, but it was probably unrealistic to play Champions League with them.
“Now, I get to hear the anthem and be a part of a Champions League campaign. It’s a childhood dream and something I didn’t think would be possible. So it’s something I’m really, really happy about.”
Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard could become Arsenal’s first summer signing
Brentford captain Norgaard follows the arrivals of Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
The Gunners have also made Chelsea winger Noni Madueke a top target, while they are advancing on a move for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Arsenal are also interested in Real Madrid winger Rodrygo and Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze in what is turning out to be a pivotal summer for Mikel Arteta.
On Norgaard’s arrival, Arteta said: “We’re delighted to welcome Christian to Arsenal. He is an international player with a wealth of experience of the Premier League. He has proven leadership skills and a strong character which will be invaluable to our squad.
“He is a strong midfielder with excellent tactical awareness and versatility. He also has physical presence and intelligence which will give us added depth and balance.”
Why Norgaard? What next for Rice? Arsenal’s midfield rebuild explained
Analysis from Sky Sports’ Nick Wright:
Norgaard is an atypical Arsenal signing in terms of age. At 31, he offers little resale value. He does, though, help mitigate the loss of Jorginho’s experience. He heads to the Emirates Stadium having racked up 122 Premier League appearances for Brentford.
His age means he also comes for a relatively low fee, reducing the financial risk of the deal and allowing Arsenal to hold back funds for the attacking recruits still needed.
Some supporters would have liked Arsenal to go for a younger, more exciting option with a higher ceiling. The club reportedly considered Sevilla’s 23-year-old midfielder Lucien Agoume as an alternative.
But Albert Sambi Lokonga, Agoume’s team-mate while on loan at Sevilla last season, offers a cautionary tale having failed to make the grade at Arsenal. The club now stand little chance of recouping the £15m spent to sign him from Anderlecht in 2021.
Together with Fabio Vieira, a £34m signing from Porto sent back to his old club on loan last season, and Nuno Tavares, an £8m signing from Benfica who also struggled, Lokonga helps to explain why Arsenal now favour Premier League-ready additions such as Norgaard.
Read more analysis from Nick’s feature here…
Norgaard follows Frank out of Bees door
Norgaard’s move to Arsenal has brought an end to his six-year spell at Brentford.
He joined the west London club from Fiorentina in May 2019 and became a key player for the Bees in their promotion to the Premier League.
Norgaard was hugely influential under Thomas Frank, who left in June to become Tottenham head coach after seven impressive years at Brentford.
Norgaard has scored 13 goals in 196 appearances for Brentford across all competitions
Brentford could see star player Bryan Mbeumo follow their manager and captain out of the door.
There remains a gap in valuation, but United are not far away from the overall fee Brentford want – believed to be £65m – however there is still work to do on the structure as the west London club want the majority, if not all, of the fee to be paid up front.
A summer of change at the Gtech Community Stadium has seen Keith Andrews appointed as the club’s new head coach.
Brentford spoke to a number of high-profile managers from across Europe but opted for someone who knows the club and their systems, and they believe Andrews can become a top head coach, having joined as an assistant to Frank last year.
Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next season
From next season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.
