€55m Arsenal, Man Utd battle ignites with Mikel Arteta to axe 2025 signing | OneFootball

Arsenal are preparing to part ways with Christian Norgaard and could rival Manchester United for a replacement from the Bundesliga, according to reports.

Norgaard made 196 appearances for Brentford between 2019 and 2025, helping the Bees gain promotion to the Premier League for the first time and establish themselves as solid top-flight competitors. Norgaard captained Brentford for two seasons before taking the next step in his career by joining Arsenal last summer.

Mikel Arteta’s side paid Brentford £10million plus £5m in add-ons to add the Dane to their midfield ranks.

However, Norgaard has largely had to rely on cup competitions for game time, having mainly been used as a late substitute in Premier League matches this season.

Norgaard will struggle to get into Arteta’s best XI given the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino are also in the squad.

As per Football.London, Norgaard is expected to remain in north London beyond the January deadline, though a summer exit is likely.

Numerous clubs around Europe have been alerted by the potential opportunity to snare the experienced leader. Indeed, it emerged on Wednesday that Ajax could sign Norgaard alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The latter has had his Nottingham Forest loan terminated and is set to join Ajax on a permanent deal worth just €1.5m (£1.3m / $1.7m).

Football.London add that Arsenal could enter the market this summer for a midfielder more likely to make an impact than Norgaard, which is where Freiburg star Johan Manzambi comes in.

Football.London and Sports Boom claim Arsenal have set their sights on Manzambi and are ‘eager’ to make him their first summer acquisition.

Arsenal, Man Utd both want Johan Manzambi

Manzambi is only 20 years old but is quickly establishing himself as one of the finest midfielders in Germany, having played 27 times this season and chipped in with four goals and five assists.

Manzambi’s great performances have caught the attention of Arsenal scouts, though they are not alone in their admiration. Man Utd’s interest was first detailed on Tuesday, potentially setting up a huge transfer battle between the two English giants.

Chelsea are understood to be keeping tabs on the Swiss star’s development, while there is also interest from the likes of Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli.