Nordtveit set to join SK Brann on loan
2 comments March 7th, 2009
Last night, Gunnerblog reader Erik Jørgensen alerted me to a story which is doing the rounds in his native Norway, suggesting that teenage defender Håvard Nordtveit could be about to join SK Brann on loan.
Nordtveit, eighteen, has never appeared for the Arsenal first team, but is extremely well regarded, as has captained the club at Reserve and Youth level. His signing arrived with similar fanfare to that of Philippe Senderos, with shrewd judges hailing him as one of Europe’s brightest defensive prospects.
Like Senderos, however, he has been dogged by injuries, and it is felt that this has impaired his development. At the start of this season he joined Salamanca on loan, but a disappointed Arsene Wenger recalled Nordtveit after he made just three appearances in three months, mostly in midfield.
Now Arsene has been quoted in Norway as saying that a move back to his homeland would represent a good opportunity for HÃ¥vard to play first-team football – though the final decision will be down to the player. My man with his finger on the pulse, Erik, thinks a move would make a lot of sense:
“If Nordtveit were to be loaned out to SK Brann, it would a very interesting move. Brann won the league in 2007 (the Norwegian season is spring-fall, not fall-spring like in England), and is together with ever-present Champion’s-Leaguers Rosenborg the team with the highest profile in Norway. A loan move for Nordtveit would mean constant media scrutiny, but also a chance to establish himself as a national team regular. If that were to happen, he would be playing with Fulham stopper Brede Hangeland. It’s not that far fetched, even though Nordtveit has yet to feature for Arsenal first team. Brann has a few players in every squad for the national team.”
Brann were expecting to hear a definitive answer from Arsenal yesterday, but Arsene has been busy preparing for the Burnely game. With the Norwegian season set to start in around a week, I’d expect some news soon.
Cesc Fabregas says he should be back playing in around a month, and he clearly feels he’ll be better than ever:
“I genuinely believe I will return fitter and stronger than ever as a result of the first long break of my professional career. Maybe the injury was my body’s way of telling me to take a break.”
Well, I think that break has gone on quite long enough, and it’s time we entered back into our love affair with the diminuitive Spaniard. There is, however, an ominiously tall, dark and handsome stranger on the horizon, glaring intently at Cesc: FC Barcelona. As arseblogger intimates, failure to qualify for the Champions League would surely spark an ugly tug-of-war between Cesc’s hometown club and a plethora of Real Madrid presidential candidates.
Tomorrow it’s Burnley in the Fifth Round of a competition that we actually have a realistic chance of winning. More about that on the morrow. Till then, have a good Saturday.
