CHRISTIAN NORGAARD is set for an awkward reunion with an Arsenal star should he make the short trip to North London from Brentford.
The Bees’ captain is subject to a £9.3million bid from the Gunners and would be the replacement for Thomas Partey.
GettyChristian Norgaard is wanted by Arsenal[/caption]
PAA transfer would lead to an awkward meeting between him and Gabriel Martinelli[/caption]
Norgaard, 31, has been a vital part of the team at the Gtech Community Stadium since arriving from Fiorentina in 2019.
He has made his mark in the Premier League as a tough-tackling midfielder.
And it was this aggressive nature that saw him on the receiving end of a dig from Arsenal ace Gabriel Martinelli.
The Brazilian accused Norgaard of trying to break his leg when the teams met in April.
Norgaard was shown a yellow card for his sliding challenge, but Martinelli thought he deserved a harsher punishment.
Speaking after the game, the forward said: “I didn’t see that again but in the moment, if my foot was on the floor, he could break my leg.
“He [Norgaard] said he didn’t mean it. I believe him but still he could have broke my leg. For me it was red.
“I need to see it again to be sure. But for me it was nasty.”
The match ended 1-1 as Yoane Wissa‘s goal cancelled out Partey’s opener.
Norgaard could be a useful addition to Mikel Arteta‘s squad with Partey set to leave and Jorginho already at Flamengo.
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The Dane made 34 appearances in the Premier League last season as the Bees finished 10th.
He chipped in with five goals and four assists as he proved himself at both ends of the pitch.
Norgaard was due to leave the club on a free this summer with his contract expiring.
However, he put pen to paper on a new two-year deal in March, having turned down four Bosman offers from other clubs.
Meanwhile, Arteta and Co are on the brink of completing the signing of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.
Zubimendi, 26, was in London last week to finalise the deal and is expected to sign on the dotted line and be announced as an Arsenal player in July.
Sociedad are thought to prefer the deal to go through next month for financial reasons.
Reports suggest Arsenal will pay slightly more than the Spaniard’s £51m release clause in order to split the cost over a number of instalments.
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