Partey Leaves and Norgaard Comes, Arsenal's Wise Choice

Arsenal is set to lose two veteran holding midfielders next season. Following Jorginho's departure, it is now Thomas Partey who is leaving on a free transfer. The midfield of the team coached by manager Mikel Arteta currently appears to have gaps.

Nevertheless, the vacancy in the midfielder position for "The Cannoneers" will soon be filled. Spanish national team player Martin Zubimendi will be joining from Real Sociedad. Meanwhile, Arsenal is also approaching veteran midfielder from Brentford, Christian Norgaard.

Brentford's Director of Football, Phil Giles, confirmed that Norgaard's transfer is very close. The 31-year-old player has been allowed to leave due to his significant contributions over the past six seasons. His price is around 11 million euros (IDR 208 billion). "(The transfer) is likely to happen," he stated.

For Arteta, the current scenario may not be the best. Arsenal could be more solid if they had Zubimendi and Partey to complement each other. However, Partey's contract was not extended because the player requested a salary increase. This request was deemed unrealistic by the club.

Partey, 32 years old, is recorded as one of the highest-paid players at Arsenal, earning around 200,000 euros per week. In addition to his age, Partey is also expected to serve as a backup for Zubimendi in the upcoming season. The Ghana national team player will be a free agent as of Monday (30/6/2025).

Norgaard is the most ideal solution. His transfer value is relatively low, as is his salary, which is estimated to be no more than 70,000 euros per week. The Brentford captain is already sufficiently qualified as a backup. Arsenal can also allocate salary space for a new striker.

Indirectly, Norgaard does seem to fill the void left by Partey. However, he will not assume Partey's role from last season as a key player. Norgaard is tasked with replacing Jorginho, who only played 704 minutes in the Premier League last season, mostly coming on from the bench.

Norgaard may even only be the third choice for the defensive midfielder position. This position can still be covered by Declan Rice, who usually plays as an "8" midfielder. This means that Arsenal's decision to select the Danish national team player is actually quite reasonable.

Norgaard is not the type of genius midfielder skilled at bridging attacks, unlike Partey or Jorginho. He is an average passer at the Premier League level. The main advantage of the 1.87-meter tall player is his ability to read the game very well.

Thomas Frank, the former coach of Brentford, stated that Norgaard is capable of playing equally well in every system. This allows Brentford to be flexible in their formation choices, ranging from 3-5-2, 4-3-3, to 4-2-3-1. "He has the intelligence to fill all positions in the midfield," he said.

The intelligence in reading the game is clearly evident in the defensive aspect. Norgaard is a midfielder with the second most interceptions (49) and blocks (52) in the English League. He is clearly a better player compared to Partey or Jorginho in the defensive side.

Interestingly, Norgaard's offensive instincts are also impressive. He contributed 5 goals and 4 assists in the league last season. This total surpasses the combined records of Jorginho and Partey (4 goals and 2 assists). All of this was achieved while playing in a relatively deep position, as a pivot.

Norgaard has also consistently posed a threat in the penalty area during set-piece situations. This aligns perfectly with Arsenal's needs. "I believe his best position is as an '8' or '10'. He can create opportunities and also pose a threat when entering the penalty area," praised Frank.

With this advantage, Norgaard could serve as an emergency option when the team is already ahead and wants to maintain that lead. The player, who has made 35 appearances for the Denmark national team, could also be a solution for Arsenal's deadlock when they need a goal, particularly through set-piece schemes.

Why didn't Arsenal recruit a promising young midfielder as a backup? Because they need experienced players who are ready to compete in England. Arsenal has just lost two veteran midfielders. Meanwhile, Zubimendi has only experienced playing in La Liga throughout his career.

Availability is equally important. As is known, Partey has been quite injury-prone since moving to Arsenal. He has only played a total of 49 league matches in the last two seasons. This number is significantly lower compared to Norgaard (65), who has been almost always available every week for Brentford.

As a result, the acquisition of Norgaard may seem unimportant. He is not a star-status player. His age is also no longer young. Nevertheless, Norgaard is very important for maintaining balance within the club's structure and the depth of the squad. (AP/REUTERS)