Everton have confirmed the signing of Christian Norgaard from Arsenal in a deal reported to be worth £7 million.
The Denmark international leaves north London after just one season, during which he helped Arsenal win the Premier League and reach the finals of both the Champions League and League Cup.
Signed from Brentford following the departures of Thomas Partey and Jorginho, Norgaard always looked likely to occupy a squad role under Mikel Arteta, especially with Martin Zubimendi arriving from Real Sociedad to partner Declan Rice. Even so, just 101 minutes of Premier League football probably wasn’t what either player or club had envisaged when he made the move across London last summer.
With Bruno Guimaraes set to strengthen Arsenal’s midfield further and Myles Lewis-Skelly continuing to establish himself as a genuine option in the centre of the pitch, the timing feels right for Norgaard to seek regular football elsewhere.
Although his appearances were few and far between, we’ve heard nothing but positive things about his influence behind the scenes. By all accounts, he quickly became a well-liked figure in the dressing room, providing experience and a calm presence during the pressure of last season’s title run-in.
Everton, meanwhile, are getting a player with plenty of Premier League know-how. Norgaard made almost 200 appearances for Brentford before joining Arsenal and will help fill the void of veterans Seamus Coleman and Idrissa Gueye, who’ve both left the club.
It sounds like the move had the backing of Arteta, who made a name for himself in English football at Goodison Park.
“I spoke to him quite a lot about the potential move,” revealed Norgaard in his first interview as an Everton player. “He had only positive things to say about Everton and also David Moyes.
“He played for him for a long time and the whole experience he had as an Everton player seemed to me as if he had a fantastic time here and really also excelled as a player under David Moyes. Hopefully I can get the same feeling as an Everton player.”
Good luck, Christian.