Nørgaard gone, Everton pay around £7m
Christian Nørgaard has left Arsenal. Everton completed the signing of the Danish midfielder, paying around £7 million (1) (5). He signed a two-year contract until mid-2028 (3) (12).
Nørgaard joined from Brentford in July 2025 and made 20 appearances across all competitions, winning the Premier League title alongside Viktor Gyökeres in his single season at the club (5).
Arteta on the move: "He played a tremendous role for us. When I brought him here, I said that he could be our glue player. An incredible capacity to bring people together and to keep the standards high" (Reddit).
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Guimaraes deal agreed, Arteta stays quiet
Arsenal have an agreement in place for Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes. Reports put the fee at £75 million (6) (7).
Arteta was asked directly about it after the Betis friendly. He gave little away (7).
The signing raises a real question: who partners Declan Rice? Guimaraes and Martin Zubimendi are both options, and opinion is already split (6).
Betis friendly ends 3–1, Copley worry
Arsenal 1–3 Real Betis in Dublin. Not the night anyone wanted (4) (9) (10).
Arteta did not hide his frustration: "You're always upset when you lose a football match. Two very different halves, especially with the personnel that we used today. But in the first half there are two different things, to play well and to compete well. And we did the first one quite well in a lot of moments, but the compete part, especially in and around our box, is not to the standards to win a football match against a good side" (4).
Pablo Fornals, Héctor Bellerín, Kepa, and Rodrigo Riquelme all featured for Betis. Viktor Gyökeres and Kai Havertz were among those on the pitch for your team, along with academy youngster Louie Copley, who picked up an injury concern (4) (9).
Both Champions League finalists had a rough night: PSG lost 0–3 to Real Mallorca on the same evening (14).
Gabriel and Martinelli subs explained
Arteta confirmed a new injury worry after the Betis match and addressed why Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli came off (8) (9).
No specifics on the nature of the issue yet, but the timing is uncomfortable with the season approaching.
Monga: "I see myself in blue"
Teenager Jeremy Monga chose Manchester City over Arsenal. He did not hide why.
"It was very close to me going there, very close. The main decision was probably the pathway and the club itself. They've been so successful that it was a no-brainer when City called. I see myself at City more. I see myself in blue" (8).
City's pathway pitch won out. Monga referenced Enzo Maresca and Eden Hazard as inspirations (8).
Arteta wants a dynasty
Arteta laid out the ambition in plain terms: he wants to build a "dynasty" at Arsenal and challenged his squad to retain the Premier League title and reach a "different level" (13).
The Betis defeat is a reminder of how far that target still is right now.
Fan reactions
The Nørgaard departure brought a warm send-off from the fanbase, with a dedicated appreciation thread thanking him for his contribution to the title-winning campaign. Arteta's own words about Nørgaard's role as the "glue player" resonated strongly, lending weight to the fond farewell. The Betis defeat stung less than it might have, with most treating it as exactly what it was: a pre-season exercise with heavy rotation. See the full reaction here.
