British media said that Arsenal are about to complete an initial deal worth £10 million to sign Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard. The add-on fee for this deal could be up to £2 million depending on the performance.
With that price, Arsenal fans have a lot to look forward to at Norgaard.
First, Norgaard has been absent for most of his time at Brentford. He has made 120 Premier League appearances in the last four campaigns. Norgaard has reached at least 30 games per season in three of those four seasons.
To put this into perspective, only three Arsenal players have played more games in the last four seasons. Two of those - Declan Rice (141) and Martin Odegaard (130) - could benefit from not having to feature in almost every Gunners game.
The Danish player has been the captain of Brentford for the past two seasons. At 31, Norgaard could add much-needed leadership and experience to Arsenal's youth squad.
But apart from the invisible values, what will Norgaard bring on the pitch?
Under coach Thomas Frank, Brentford used many different teams, including 3-5-2, 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1. Norgaard has been deployed in the deepest half-back position. With the departure of Jorginho and Thomas Partey, Norgaard is being targeted by Arsenal to provide depth for new signing Zubimendi.
When comparing his playing style with Partey and Jorginho, Norgaard was a more dynamic player when not playing football, and also stronger in one-on-one situations.
Recruiting a player with good defense in a low defense is reasonable for Arsenal. set-pieces are another aspect that Norgaard could contribute to. The Gunners are good at dead ball situations and this is also Norgaard's strength, both in defense and attack.
The 31-year-old midfielder is excellent in aerial combat. His success rate in aerial disputes last season was 61.9%, ranking 11th among all midfielders in the Premier League and behind only Ben White (66.7%), Nathan Collins (63.0%) and William Saliba (62.0%) among Brentford and Arsenal players.
The danger in set pieces has also helped Norgaard accumulate impressive goals. Four of his five goals last season came from crosses or set pieces.
9 of his 11 Premier League goals have also come from dead-ball situations. That includes Norgaard's first Premier League goal against Arsenal in August 2021.
That was a match in which Arsenal were criticized for being physically weak, in contrast to Brentford's physical strength. Perhaps it is no coincidence that after that match, Arteta completely changed Arsenal's image. Norgaard is a player who will help The Gunners elevate that position.
Interestingly, despite almost just letting him play in a defensive midfield role, Frank has previously said Norgaard is best suited to take on the role of number 8 or even number 10. Perhaps Arteta has also noticed this.
