Arsenal are on the verge of striking a deal with Brentford for midfielder Christian Norgaard, according to David Ornstein.
Earlier on Wednesday, news emerged that the Gunners had opened talks with the Bees for their captain as a potential replacement for Thomas Partey, who is set to depart Arsenal when his contract expires at the end of the month.
Partey has refused to accept the North London club’s extension offer and will leave as a free agent on 30 June. Despite the imminent signing of Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal feel that they need to add another player as Jorginho has also left the club.
Norgaard is viewed as a low-cost, Premier League-proven option, and the Denmark international is understood to be open to moving in what is a summer of huge changes at Brentford, with head coach Thomas Frank having departed for Tottenham.
It was initially reported that Brentford were unwilling to accept Arsenal’s €11 million bid for the 31-year-old, but David Ornstein of The Athletic now reports that an agreement is close.
Arsenal close in Norgaard deal
Personal terms with Norgaard are not an issue as the Denmark international is keen to join Arsenal and play in the Champions League next season.
Ornstein states that while an agreement with Brentford has not yet been finalised, the direction of travel suggests that it is only a matter of time before the Bees greenlight the deal.
The transfer insider has not disclosed how much Arsenal will ultimately have to pay for the Brentford captain, but it is unlikely to be significantly more than the €11m originally offered.
Norgaard will be another huge loss for Brentford, who are also set to sell Bryan Mbeumo this summer. Man Utd are in advanced talks to sign the attacker, while Frank and Spurs have also expressed an interest.
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