Christian Norgaard solves unnoticed Arsenal problem which could wreck Prem title bid

Christian Norgaard is not the glitziest signing Arsenal will make this summer. The Danish international has been reliable and workmanlike throughout his time at Brentford, but his unveiling - providing the transfer materialises - would not be met with the same excitement as that of fellow midfielder Martin Zubimendi or Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres.

While the latter pair would bring genuine star quality to Mikel Arteta's side, Norgaard has vital plus points of his own. One benefit of signing the 31-year-old is particularly important in light of the players Arsenal have moved on so far this summer. Because while new sporting director Andrea Berta has done a steady job of shifting the dead wood, Arteta has all of a sudden been left short of senior figures in the dressing room.

Incredibly, if Norgaard signs for Arsenal and Thomas Partey makes way, which now seems inevitable, the new arrival would instantly become the oldest player in Arteta's first-team squad.

Goalkeeper Neto, 35, has been sent back to Bournemouth after an uneventful loan spell. Jorginho, 33, has signed for Flamengo on a free transfer. Partey, 32, is set to take on a new challenge after failing to agree a new contract at the Emirates. Raheem Sterling, 30, did not make the grade last season during a temporary stint in north London. Kieran Tierney, 28, is on his way back up to Celtic. And representatives of Oleksandr Zinchenko, also 28, are trying to negotiate a move away for the Ukrainian.

At a time when experienced Arsenal players are dropping like flies, a player of Norgaard's profile entering the fray will be warmly welcomed by Arteta.

It will be eating away at the Arsenal boss that he has not managed to turn any of his last three Premier League campaigns into a title triumph. They finished five points behind Manchester City in 2023, two behind them in 2024, and then 10 behind Liverpool last month.

With each passing window, the Gunners are fine-tuning their squad and bringing in new talent. But those in charge of managing recruitment should not lose sight of the importance of balancing youth with experience.

And the pursuit of Norgaard suggests they haven't. The Copenhagen-born midfielder took the Brentford armband in 2023, and he is set to leave the club with just shy of 200 appearances made. Norgaard also played 147 games during a prior spell at Brondby, while he boasts 35 caps for Denmark and a brief stint at Fiorentina.

Arsenal made significant progress in their pursuit of the Bees skipper on Wednesday. A £9.3million bid set the wheels in motion and it is understood that a medical is being planned and a full agreement is not far off.