TBR Football can exclusively reveal Christian Norgaard’s thoughts when he learned that both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were interested in signing him.
The Brentford captain has been one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League in recent seasons, and he has a lot of admirers.
Thomas Frank wanted to sign Norgaard for Tottenham, but the Dane became a target for Arsenal too after it became clear that Thomas Partey was leaving the Emirates.
A reunion with his old boss would’ve been appealing, but everything changed for Norgaard once Arsenal came into the picture.
Christian Norgaard only wanted Arsenal despite interest from Tottenham
TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey, understands that once Arsenal made their approach for Christian Norgaard, he made it clear he only wanted to move to the Emirates.
We understand that the Danish midfielder was left unsettled by Frank’s departure from Brentford. That is when his agents reached out to assess his options.
Soon, it became known that both Arsenal and Tottenham were interested in his services, but we have been told that Norgaard only had one thought in his mind, and that was a move to the red side of North London.
Arsenal were looking at numerous midfield options, including Sevilla’s Lucien Agoume and Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, upon learning that Partey was heading out. But, it is believed that the chance to land an experienced and highly-regarded Premier League performer was too good to turn down.
Once Arsenal’s interest emerged, the Gunners were told by Norgaard’s camp that they were his priority destination, despite interest from their fierce rivals, Tottenham.
Bailey told TBR: “Andrea Berta moved quickly, he spoke with Mikel Arteta and a decision was made quickly to sign Norgaard.
“They were told early on that Arsenal was his priority, and that was a major appeal too.”
The £15 million deal for Norgaard is due to be completed before the weekend, with a medical already pencilled in for Thursday.
One of Christian Norgaard’s first games will be against Tottenham
Frank absolutely adored Norgaard and loved having him at Brentford.
The now-Tottenham boss would’ve liked him at his disposal at his new club too, but Arsenal’s interest blew Spurs out of the water.
The Norgaard deal should be sealed in the coming days, and one of the Dane’s first games in the famous red and white is set to come against Tottenham in pre-season.
Arsenal take on Spurs in Hong Kong in what will be the first North London Derby played outside the country in history.
If Norgaard scores against his old boss and helps Arsenal beat Tottenham, he will become an instant hero.