Mikel Arteta wants reinforcements to his Arsenal midfield.placeholder image
Mikel Arteta wants reinforcements to his Arsenal midfield. | Getty Images
Thomas Frank could face competition from his new biggest rival over a swoop for a Brentford star.
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are set to do battle over a transfer move for Brentford captain Christian Norgaard this summer with both north London outfits in the market for greater strength in depth in the centre of the park.
The Bees captain only signed a new two-year contract in March but that may not deter bids from the Gunners and Spurs after Thomas Frank labelled the west London outfit as a ‘selling club’ earlier this year. Norgaard has made 122 Premier League appearances and been the linchpin of Frank’s work at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Frank has, of course, now moved to Tottenham Hotspur, which explains Spurs links. Meanwhile, Arsenal are set to bring in another central midfielder this summer should Thomas Partey leave as a free agent, as per The Standard.
Arsenal and Spurs battle for Premier League midfielder
New sporting director Andrea Berta is close to brokering a deal for Real Sociedad man Martin Zubimendi but, with Jorginho also leaving the club, one addition in midfield may not be enough. Norgaard is the type of profile that would slot in seamlessly to Mikel Arteta’s system at the Emirates Stadium.
Norgaard has known Frank ever since playing under him at youth level for Denmark and the former Brentford manager labelled him as an ‘integral’ part to his system at the Premier League club. The 31-year-old made 34 appearances in the Premier League last term and has been described as a ‘late bloomer’ by Frank.
Brentford star inspired by Martin Odegaard
In 2022, Frank said: "Every team has one or two players that are the glue, that make the team tick, or better, just by stepping on the pitch. Nørgaard is one of the players that does that for us."
In a potential boost for Arsenal, Norgaard has been outspoken in his admiration for Martin Odegaard and the way the Gunners midfield plays. In 2023, he said: “Of course, it’s sticking to our defensive principles and forcing it outside and trying to double up.
“Especially on players like Martinelli and Saka, we know how good they are when they get the ball wide. And then see if we could shut down Odegaard as much as possible, he’s a fantastic player and he also showed today some of the skills that he has. But I think in general we played a really good game and I know that sometimes from the outside it looks like we are under pressure the whole time, but we feel very comfortable and very solid in that low-block.”
In other news, Arsenal Transfer Round-Up: Andrea Berta learns £77m asking price as Gunners eye West Ham transfer windfall.
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