Everton sign midfielder Norgaard from Arsenal

Everton has announced the signing of midfielder Christian Norgaard from Arsenal on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £7m. The 32-year-old Denmark international was left out of Arsenal's squad for their friendly match against Real Betis on Wednesday. In the 2021-22 season, Norgaard made 20 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions, with only seven of those in the Premier League.

The north London club clinched their first title in 22 years during that campaign. Everton has also signed central midfielder Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough for £16.5m and 20-year-old winger Tyrique George from Chelsea for £18m, having spent the latter half of last season on loan with the Toffees. Upon joining Everton, Norgaard expressed his excitement about the project, stating that he was attracted to the club's direction after speaking to manager David Moyes.

He added, "Coming here just makes that feeling even stronger," noting that the club has made significant progress in recent times. Norgaard previously spent six years at Brentford, where he captained the team and made 196 appearances. Moyes was looking for experienced players to bolster his squad after the departures of Republic of Ireland defender Seamus Coleman, 37, and Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye, who is 36.

Midfielder James Garner, 25, is expected to miss the start of the new season following groin surgery last month. Everton is set to begin their Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace at home on Saturday, 22 August.