Everton have reached an agreement in principle to sign Christian Norgaard from Arsenal in a deal worth around £7 million, with the experienced midfielder now closing in on a move to Merseyside.
The Denmark international is expected to undergo a medical next week before completing the transfer, which would bring an end to his single season at the Emirates Stadium.
Norgaard joined Arsenal from Brentford last summer after Mikel Arteta identified the experienced midfielder as an ideal addition to provide depth, leadership and tactical discipline in the middle of the pitch.
The 32-year-old arrived with an impressive Premier League pedigree, having captained Brentford and established himself as one of the division’s most dependable defensive midfielders across six seasons.
Although he featured regularly across all competitions, opportunities in the Premier League proved harder to come by.
Norgaard made 20 appearances during the campaign but started only seven league matches as Arsenal went on to end their 22-year wait for the Premier League title.
Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi formed Arteta’s preferred midfield partnership for much of the season, while Myles Lewis-Skelly’s continued development and Mikel Merino’s return from injury further increased competition for places.
Even so, Norgaard remained a highly respected figure behind the scenes.
Arteta has frequently valued experienced professionals capable of raising standards in training, and the Dane’s leadership and professionalism made him an important member of the dressing room despite his limited playing time.
Everton have now moved quickly to secure his signature following Idrissa Gueye’s departure at the end of his contract.
The Toffees wanted an experienced holding midfielder capable of protecting the defence while providing leadership to a squad that has undergone significant changes this summer.
Norgaard is expected to become Everton’s fourth signing of the transfer window after the arrivals of Hayden Hackney, Tyrique George and Merlin Rohl.
For Arsenal, the move represents another step in reshaping the squad ahead of their Premier League title defence.
Leandro Trossard has already departed, while Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier have arrived as Andrea Berta continues to strengthen Arteta’s options before the transfer window closes.
Should the remaining formalities proceed as expected, Norgaard will leave Arsenal with a Premier League winners’ medal after playing his part in one of the club’s most memorable campaigns in recent history.