Why Thomas Frank has already told Everton they're getting £7m Christian Norgaard steal

Everton-bound Christian Norgaard is a player that Thomas Frank absolutely loved.

The 32-year-old midfielder is set to become Everton's fourth signing of the summer, following permanent deals for Tyrique George, Merlin Rohl and Hayden Hackney.

Having joined Arsenal last summer, the 41-cap Denmark international played 20 times in all competitions for Mikel Arteta's side on the way to winning the Premier League.

Prior to his move to Arsenal, Norgaard spent six years at Brentford, joining them in the summer of 2019 when they were still a Championship side.

He went on to play 196 times for the Bees, with the vast majority of those coming under Frank.

And so, as he's reportedly on the verge of completing a £7million move to Everton, the words of his former boss will instil much Merseyside hope of a real transfer bargain.

Why Thomas Frank felt Christian Norgaard was vital to Brentford

Certain sides just don't function the same when a specific player isn't in the team.

Frank's Brentford still found ways to win and be successful when injuries and suspensions occurred, but a Norgaard-less team was always a significantly weaker one for them.

Speaking in a December 2022 interview via BBC Sport, then-Brentford boss Frank raved about how important Norgaard was to his team, and his testimony explains exactly what type of player David Moyes will be adding to his engine room.

"He's a key player for us," said Frank. "Every team has one or two players that is the glue, makes the team tick, or better just by stepping on pitch.

"Norgaard is one of the players that does that for us. The amount of interceptions, second balls he wins, his ability to keep the ball and play the pass forward is key."

With the departure of Idrissa Gana Gueye, Everton have lost a big part of the glue that held together their midfield over the past couple of seasons.

So getting a player in like Norgaard who can stick it back together is essential, but just how good is he still aged 32 and off the back of a relatively quiet campaign with Arsenal?

How Norgaard was one of Champions League's best in 2025-26

Norgaard may only have played seven times in the Premier League for Arsenal last season, but he was a big part of their Champions League campaign.

He made six appearances in the competition, and put up some underlying numbers that ranked him amongst the very best in his position, and prove that Frank's assessment still holds merit today.

As per FotMob, his 2.04 fouls won per 90 minutes placed him in the leading 1.4 per cent of all defensive midfielders in the Champions League last season.

Meanwhile, his 11.4 kilometres covered per game and 8.4 kilometres ran per game were among the very best.

This is exactly what Everton will need to bring their new-look squad together as we edge closer to the Premier League season.

Moyes will be delighted.