The Toffees are nearing a rapid £7m deal for the versatile veteran. This tactical pivot promises to inject elite ball-winning stats and vital leadership into David Moyes' midfield.
More Videos
Everton are closing in on the signing of Arsenal midfielder Christian Norgaard, according to reports.
The Bobble reported on Saturday evening that Everton were advancing in talks to sign Norgaard for a fee in the region of £7m. The midfielder has accepted a deal to join the Toffees, and a medical is now being scheduled.
It’s one of those deals that has seemingly come out of nowhere, which is exciting for supporters. So often we hear about interest long before a deal is even close, and as a result, Everton are criticised for taking their time with a move.
This deal has progressed rapidly, and Everton are close to signing a new defensive midfielder.
Once we hit 300 members, we'll be doing a £250 voucher giveaway. This was previously £100, but I'm upping it to £250!roundtable.io£250 giveaway! - Community Post
Once we hit 300 members, we'll be doing a £250 voucher giveaway. This was previously £100, but I'm upping it to £250!
Norgaard is your typical double pivot defensive midfielder. In terms of his attributes as a midfielder, he can do it all. That’s not to say he’s elite-level, but he’s a well-rounded player who provides protection in front of the back four but can also play.
The Arsenal midfielder is certainly someone who can push into the opposition half to try to win the ball back or make things happen, but the majority of his defensive work comes in his own third.
Someone like Tim Iroegbunam is praised for his defensive work in terms of tackles, interceptions, ball recoveries, etc, but Norgaard [24/25 season at Brentford] produced almost double Iroegbunam’s total for defensive actions per 90 last season.
Norgaard also has that nice mix over someone like Iroegbunam. He’s comfortable defensively, an imposing figure in the middle of the park, but he’s also tidy with the ball and likes to play progressively.
Profile wise, as an overall package, he’s exactly what we’re missing in the midfield. He replaces the defensive work rate and ball-winning ability of Idrissa Gueye, but also adds a little more progression and forward thinking on the ball.
At the age of 32, Norgaard also adds leadership and experience. Despite not really being involved for Arsenal last season, Declan Rice singled Norgaard out as someone to have said ‘powerful’ words in a team meeting after a game against Wolves. That’s despite him, as mentioned, not being involved a lot, and also only being with the club for that season.
In terms of Norgaard’s data, I’ve been focusing on his final season with Brentford, before Arsenal signed him. What stands out firstly is his defensive statistics, while he was also a threat in the final third.
As previously mentioned, Norgaard can be that player to sit and protect the back four, but Brentford’s high-energy, chaotic style often led to that.
Comparing Norgaard to Gueye, who he is likely to replace in the Everton side, the Arsenal midfielder’s defensive data was off the charts in comparison to Gueye.
He also offers more in terms of final product and progression through passing, with Gueye being a little safer with his passing.
The most important thing for me is Norgaard’s progression with the ball. He isn’t the type to carry from deep, but instead look to break lines and create a threat through his passing. At Brentford, Norgaard would regularly look for the runs of Bryan Mbeumo on the right-hand side, or try to break lines to find Mikkel Damsgaard.
Norgaard is a reasonably safe player when in front of the back four. He’s not the type to try to dribble past players to get out of trouble, and will instead look to find a team-mate with a pass, whether that be a switch of play or a line-breaking pass.
In fact, he only made nine progressive carries during the 24/25 Premier League season, with only three of those being from his own defensive third. He also doesn’t attempt too many risky passes from deep, as you’ll see in the graphic below.
When comparing Norgaard to Gueye again, as seen below, we’re simply getting a better defender and someone who is more progressive with the ball at his feet.
Although it would have been nice to get in a younger midfielder for the long-term future to replace Gueye, there’s no doubt Norgaard can slot straight in and be our best defensive midfielder.
Norgaard (left) and Gueye (right)
Norgaard (left) and Gueye (right)
Of course, there are normally some negatives to a deal, but this certainly doesn’t mean it’s a bad one.
Norgaard is 32 years old and coming to the end of his career, while he also struggled to play last season. He might not be the same player he was during the 24/25 season due to almost having a year off and getting a year older, but he’s never relied on things like pace anyway.
Another negative is that we are just kicking the can down the road in terms of signing a long-term defensive midfielder, but if it means we can save funds to improve other positions, it could work out well.
Signing a long-term defensive midfielder needs to be in the pipeline in the near future, but hopefully Norgaard makes a big impact in the short term.