Arsenal now on the verge of signing their new Rice

After a gradual begin to the summer time switch window for Arsenal, they appear as if they’re closing in on sealing two signings.

Kepa Arrizabalaga’s transfer from Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium will not precisely be met with a lot fanfare contemplating he is there to play second fiddle to David Raya, nevertheless it’s an essential transfer nonetheless.

At simply £5m, the Gunners have discovered a substitute for Neto and as a result of value, it frees up cash to spend elsewhere, hopefully on a wealth of attacking reinforcements.

The opposite arrival will see one other Spaniard within the type of Martin Zubimendi head to North London. At simply over £50m, that transfer is definitely a extra thrilling ones however he isn’t the one midfielder who might arrive.

Arsenal trying to signal one other midfielder after Zubimendi

Final summer time, it appeared as if Zubimendi was going to move to Liverpool. Sadly for the Anfield aspect, he didn’t. Whether or not or not he regrets that call based mostly on Arne Slot’s title success is unknown.

Effectively, a 12 months on, he’ll now lastly head to England, nevertheless it will not be the crimson of Liverpool he’ll be donning. As an alternative, it is the crimson of Arsenal.

The Gunners first made their transfer to signal the Spain worldwide final January after they signalled their intentions to set off his £51m launch clause at Actual Sociedad. Since then, an settlement has been tied up that can see the membership spend a tiny bit greater than that exit clause to allow them to pay it in instalments.

Zubimendi was reportedly in London over the weekend to wrap up the formalities of his transfer.

But, he might effectively be joined in the midst of the park subsequent season by Brentford’s Christian Norgaard. That is in accordance with a variety of sources, notably the Athletic’s David Ornstein.

He reported on Wednesday afternoon that Arsenal are “exploring” a deal to signal the Dane and have lodged their first supply, believed to be round €11m (£9m).

Fabrizio Romano furthered these claims by revealing on social media that the 31-year-old “needs to hitch Arsenal” this summer time, a lot so that non-public phrases have already been agreed between participant and membership.

Since then, BBC Sports activities’ Sami Mokbel has revealed that an settlement might be reached at £15m, together with add-ons. A transfer seems to be advancing rapidly, with Ornstein later reporting on Wednesday night that the Gunners are actually within the technique of ‘finalising’ a deal to signal the participant. A medical can also be within the technique of being deliberate.

Why Norgaard can be a very good signing for Arsenal

With Jorginho having left the Emirates on a free switch, heading to Flamengo, and Thomas Partey more and more unlikely to signal a brand new deal, Arsenal want two midfielders.

Zubimendi ticks one field and within the type of Norgaard, though this is able to be a stunning transfer, it definitely makes a variety of sense.

Like Kepa, Arsenal wouldn’t be spending a bucket load on enhancing the squad and thus, can be leaving room to spend the place it actually issues this summer time; on a brand new striker.

So, what might Norgaard supply to Mikel Arteta’s midfield? Effectively, just like the departing Jorginho and Partey, he is acquired a wealth of expertise and, pivotally, he is performed in England for a very long time now.

He signed for Brentford again in 2019 and has since gone on to characteristic 196 instances for the Bees, taking part in 122 instances within the Premier League.

34 of these top-flight outings got here in 2024/25 the place he scored 5 objectives and in addition provided 4 assists.

A holding midfielder who additionally chips in with objectives and assists, there may be cause to imagine that Arteta might be signing a extra skilled model of Declan Rice right here.

Arsenal podcaster, Alex Moneypenny, who has appeared on Sky Sports activities and BBC Sport, outlines the Dane’s qualities completely. He is a “search and destroyer”, a midfielder who specialises in “progressive passing”.

That is backed up by the numbers with Norgaard rating among the many greatest holding midfielders in Europe’s high 5 leagues for progressive passing distance. The truth is, he ranks virtually identically to Zubimendi on this class.

The flexibility to show the ball over from deep or in additional superior areas definitely makes him like Rice, as does the flexibility to progress play. Captain of Brentford too, he is acquired the pure management expertise that Arsenal’s file signing boasts.

However, what do the statistics say?

With the advantage of taking part in additional ahead and taking set-pieces, Rice does higher Brentford’s captain for assists and profitable take-ons. It is within the passing division the place they’re most alike.

They full an analogous proportion of their passes per 90 minutes and there is not an enormous distinction between the variety of these passes which are progressive in nature.

So, whereas a transfer of this nature is hardly going to blow supporters away, he’d be a gentle pair of fingers similar to Jorginho was. If he hits the bottom working like Rice did too, followers will quickly take to the Bees star.