Key facts
- Christian Nørgaard, 32, joins Everton from Arsenal on a two-year deal; BBC Sport reports a fee of about £7m
- He made 20 appearances for Arsenal last season in all competitions, but just seven in the Premier League as Arsenal won their first title in 22 years
- Arsenal signed him from Brentford last year for a reported £15m; he had captained Brentford and made 196 appearances there
- Everton also signed Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough (£16.5m) and Tyrique George from Chelsea (£18m) this summer
- Midfielder James Garner, 25, is set to miss the start of the season after groin surgery; defender Seamus Coleman and midfielder Idrissa Gueye have departed
- Everton begin their Premier League season at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, 22 August
The deal
Everton have signed Danish midfielder Christian Nørgaard from Arsenal on a two-year contract, according to BBC Sport. The fee was undisclosed, though BBC Sport reports it is believed to be around £7m. The 32-year-old was in the final year of his Arsenal contract and was left out of the Gunners’ squad for a friendly against Real Betis on the day the move was announced.
His time at Arsenal and Brentford
Nørgaard joined Arsenal last year from Brentford in a deal reported at £15m. He made 20 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal last season, but only seven of those came in the Premier League, a campaign in which Arsenal won their first league title in 22 years. Before that, he spent six seasons at Brentford, where he became club captain and made 196 appearances.
Why Everton moved for him
Manager David Moyes has been targeting experienced additions to his squad after the departures of 37-year-old Republic of Ireland defender Seamus Coleman and 36-year-old Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye. Nørgaard said he was “very intrigued” by the project after talking with Moyes, and that speaking with the manager strengthened his belief the club is heading in the right direction, pointing to Everton’s form last season and the quality he faced playing against them.
Other summer business and squad situation
Nørgaard is the third notable midfield-area signing of Everton’s summer: the club paid £16.5m for central midfielder Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough and £18m for 20-year-old winger Tyrique George, who joined from Chelsea after spending the second half of last season on loan at Everton. Midfielder James Garner, 25, is expected to miss the start of the new season after undergoing groin surgery last month.
What’s next
Everton open their Premier League campaign at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, 22 August.
Sources
Featured photo: Britta Zimmermann via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)