Christian Nørgaard is approaching the end of his current deal at Brentford, with his contract set to expire at the end of June.
The Bees’ captain has been a mainstay for the club since he signed from Fiorentina and has totalled 185 appearances after almost six years in West London.
Ahead of Brentford’s clash with Aston Villa, Thomas Frank addressed his captain’s future as well as that of Josh Dasilva and Ben Mee, whose contracts also end in the summer.
Thomas Frank confirms Christian Nørgaard contract talks
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“Yeah, we are discussing with all three of them, very pleased with what they have done for us and what they’re doing for us,” Frank told the Sports Gazette.
“One of them, I’m pretty sure we will trigger the option here for Nørgaard, so I’m convinced he will be here next year. The two others we are discussing with.”
Like Nørgaard, the Bees hold an option to extend Dasilva’s contract by a further year. However, he is yet to make an appearance for the club this season.
As for Mee, he has made only 10 appearances across all competitions, but at 35, he is reaching the twilight of his career and is making moves in the media industry.
Frank plays down Aston Villa’s post Champions League slump
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Brentford’s next opponents are thriving in Europe and have one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals after defeating Club Brugge in the first leg of their Round of 16 encounter.
However, Unai Emery’s side have struggled after European fixtures, winning only one of eight games – the last of which came against Wolverhampton Wanderers in September.
When asked about Villa’s post-European struggles, Frank confirmed the focus was very much on his own side and how they can secure all three points.
“Of course, I know the stats, but I’m not focusing on that, I’m just focusing on the process. What is the game plan? How do we beat them? How does Villa look?” he continued.
“We need to bring energy and intensity, no matter if they played in Europe or not, so it’s all about us.”
Frank on Villa’s January signings
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The Villains certainly caught the eye with their January acquisitions, signing some of Europe’s biggest names, including Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen.
Brentford’s boss was full of praise for the business carried out by the West Midlands outfit and made a bold claim regarding the quality of their squad.
“What I would say is, I think Villa is an extremely good team. I think they did fantastic business in the January transfer window, bringing in really good players,” Frank added.
“Malen, Rashford, Asensio, and I think their squad is among the best, probably in the Premier League.
“They’re one of the eight best teams in Europe. I think, at their peak, also in the Premier League, they perform fantastic. They’re still in the FA Cup.
“It’s a very difficult opponent, they’re probably not satisfied with only being one position above us, but top opponent, big respect for them.”
If the Bees can beat Villa, then it will be their first home win since they defeated Newcastle United in early December.
However, Frank is yet to get the better of Emery in the Premier League and will be hoping for a Villa hangover when the pair meet on Saturday.
Alex Charlton
Alex spent seven years as a primary school teacher and one as a head of year before travelling around Latin America. With a keen interest in football, tennis and darts, he currently works as an EFL and Sunderland club writer for Football League World. Alex loves telling a story and is relishing the opportunity to write about key issues.
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