Following a relatively quiet June, Arsenal are now beginning to make serious moves in the transfer market.
By most accounts, Arsenal have now decided to sign Viktor Gyokeres instead of Benjamin Sesko.
RB Leipzig are demanding too much for Sesko and Arsenal have therefore pivoted their interest towards Gyokeres, who’s always been a favourite of sporting director Andrea Berta.
Of course, the Gyokeres news has almost overshadowed the signing of Martin Zubimendi, who is now officially an Arsenal player.
Zubimendi could easily prevail as one of the signings of the season in midfield for Arsenal, a Spain international who’s proven that he’s able to dominate a game in similar fashion to Manchester City’s Rodri.
And Zubimendi might soon have a new partner in the middle in N5.
Arsenal set to complete the signing of Christian Norgaard from Brentford
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Brentford’s Christian Norgaard will soon be an Arsenal player.
Sharing his update on X, Jacobs confirmed that the deal will cost Arsenal £10m up front, with £5m in add-ons.
Christian Norgaard in action for Brentford during a Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
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And crucially, the journalist said that the Denmark international was expected to complete his move within 48 hours.
Therefore, Berta will have ticked off another crucial job this summer — he will have completed a midfield revamp for Arteta, who will be excited to work with Zubimendi and Norgaard.
Of course, Declan Rice might also be seriously excited by the arrival of both holding midfielders.
Over the last 12 months or so, Rice has been phenomenal as a number eight, and with Zubimendi and Norgaard around, he should rarely ever be needed in a deeper role.
Instead, Rice will be predominantly competing with Mikel Merino in the left-sided central midfield role, a much more healthy situation for Arteta.
Thomas Frank has explained why Arsenal should be excited about Christian Norgaard
Former Brentford boss and now Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has been full of compliments for Norgaard over the years, a midfielder he relied upon so much in west London.
And Frank’s comments back in 2022 calling Norgaard the ‘glue’ in his team should be really exciting reading for Arsenal fans, especially given that the 31-year-old is essentially coming in as backup at the Emirates.
Complimenting his compatriot, Frank said: “He’s a key player for us. Every team has one or two players that is the glue, makes the team tick, or better just by stepping on pitch.
“Norgaard is one of the players that does that for us. The amount of interceptions, second balls he wins, his ability to keep the ball and play the pass forward is key.”
And it was only in March that Frank described Norgaard as an ‘extraordinary’ player again, one who seemingly gets better with time.