I think he's quite an underrated player and I think it's a shrewd signing. Not a flashy name, but he's got experience of being an ever-present in Brentford's midfield, been at the heart of a lot of the success Brentford have had, and has some great qualities. I can see why Arteta likes him, despite him being 31. We're also losing two experienced PL midfielders in Jorginho and Partey, so makes sense to get another experienced midfielder in who is reliable fitness wise. Especially with it being Zubimendi's debut season with us and maybe needing a bit of time to acclimatise. Going back to Norgaard, his passing accuracy is a concern (82%), but maybe you have to put it into context of playing in a Brentford side that encourages direct play and long balls. He's also not got the most nimble feet when under pressure. But he's got a good engine, made the 2nd most interceptions and clearances from a midfielder last season, covers lots of ground, good at aerial duels and is a threat from set-pieces also. He also allows us to rotate in the middle of the park. I still think we need a real chance creator/transition threat in the middle, but I think Arteta prefers 'control first' type players, so I don't think we'll get one. But overall, Zubimendi and Norgaard are an upgrade on the 2025 versions of Partey and Jorginho, yes.
I know it's not been officially announced, but literally every reliable journalist out there has said it's done and that he's signed the paperwork. Fabrizio Romano, David Ornstein, Sami Mokbel, Ben Jacobs, Charles Watts etc - all said it's been signed and will be announced early July. I get you can never be 100% sure until the clubs have publicly stated so, but it would be a major, major shock if we're basing it off the reports and the fact that all the reputable journalists are saying that the relevant paperwork is done.
