Brentford director of football Phil Giles has confirmed they’ve been in negotiations with Arsenal over a deal for Christian Norgaard, which is now heading for completion.
Arsenal fans usually rely exclusively on reports from journalists for updates on transfers, with the club and its employees all staying tight-lipped until a deal is completely done.
But Brentford’s director of football Phil Giles is evidently not so guarded, telling BBC Sport that they’ve been in negotiations with the Gunners over Christian Norgaard’s transfer.
“We have been in conversations with Arsenal for the last week to 10 days,” Giles said. “As it stands it hasn’t been completed yet but it is heading in that direction.
“If that happens for him then fantastic, he’s earned it. He’s been a brilliant captain for us.
“Let’s see how that story ends but we are pretty open about that interest there.”
The BBC’s report is one of a few to suggest that an initial £10m deal for Norgaard could reach £15m with add-ons, but it’s worth mentioning that The Athletic are reporting an agreement for slightly less.
According to their report, Arsenal have agreed with Brentford to pay £10m plus £2m in add-ons.
The Athletic add that Norgaard was on holiday when the agreement was struck, which could partly explain why it’s not quite all finalised yet. The player is now expected to undergo a medical and finalise the deal this week.
Assuming all goes well, Norgaard will provide cover in midfield for Arsenal, as he’s expected to compete with fellow summer signing Martin Zubimendi for a spot as Mikel Arteta’s defensive midfielder.
Norgaard made 35 appearances for Brentford last season, scoring six goals and assisting four. He’s also a regular with the Denmark national team, appearing in 11 of their last 16 matches – including starts in both legs of the Nations League quarter-final against Portugal.
The 31-year-old was only second to Ryan Gravenberch in total interceptions in the Premier League last season, as he ranks among the best ball winners in the division.