We have agreed to sell Christian Norgaard to Everton for a fee in the region of £7 million, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic, who reported on August 1 that the two clubs had reached an agreement in principle. The 32-year-old is expected to undergo a medical next week before the move is formalised. He would leave after a single season at the Emirates.
Norgaard's Arsenal year makes the decision to let him go a straightforward one. He arrived from Brentford last summer as an experienced, disciplined squad option, and he did the job that was asked of him without ever forcing his way into the league side. He made just seven Premier League appearances and started only once, on the final day against Crystal Palace after the title was already won. His total league minutes came to barely more than one full match. For a player who turned 32 in March and is in the final year of his contract, £7 million for that profile is good business.
It is also business with a purpose. Norgaard's exit follows Leandro Trossard's departure to Besiktas and clears another senior midfield place at the exact moment we are closing on a far bigger name. L'Equipe report that we have reached an agreement in principle with Newcastle for Bruno Guimaraes worth around £77 million, with the Brazil international having agreed personal terms on a contract until 2031 several weeks ago. Ornstein has said we are "closing in" on that deal. Selling a 32-year-old squad player and signing a 28-year-old who wants to be here is the kind of sequencing that a title defence is built on.
We could have held onto Norgaard as insurance and ended deadline day with a bloated, ageing midfield. Andrea Berta has chosen the cleaner path. Norgaard leaves with a Premier League winner's medal from one of the most memorable seasons in the club's recent history, and he leaves with our goodwill. He will play far more football at Everton than he would have here.
What matters for us is what the space is being cleared for. If the Guimaraes deal completes as reported, Norgaard's sale will look like the first move in a genuine midfield reshape rather than a simple trimming of the squad. We should know within the week.