Brentford captain Christian Nørgaard entered the final year of his contract at the start of this season.
The Denmark international’s contract situation with the Bees had resulted in interest and firm offers from several clubs.
He rejected them in order to commit his long-term future to Brentford. At the weekend, the midfielder signed a new contract until 2027.
TV2 Sport in Denmark have had a detailed chat with the 31-year-old to find out why he decided to sign an extension with the Premier League club.
Nørgaard explained he was handling proposals from multiple clubs, without providing their details.
“There were four or five concrete offers in different leagues in Europe, and they were some great destinations. But it almost didn’t matter what came in the end, because it was hard to beat where my family and I love to be,” he said.
The Dane left Fiorentina for Brentford in 2019, when they were in the Championship. He and his family feel comfortable with their life in the English capital and that’s one of the key reasons for him to continue with the Bees.
He weighed up all options before making the final decision to sign a new contract with the English club.
“We knew that now was the time for me to try something different,” Nørgaard explained.
“Whether I should test myself at a higher level, or whether we as a family should try an adventure together in southern Europe or somewhere else. It was a very defining choice for us as a family.
“I’ve had many opportunities, which also came in tandem with the fact that I wanted to be free this summer and have now played a season at a good level. But even though the finances, level and Champions League and all this were exciting, Brentford just felt like the right thing for us when we compared it all.”
Nørgaard has been Brentford’s captain since the start of last season and played 26 games this season. His wife and kids are also settled in London, and these factors influenced his decision to snub other clubs.
“Our boys know the framework here, where we have lived in the same apartment for five years, my partner has an everyday life that she is happy with, and we want to stay where we are safe, and the culture has also been easy to fit into,” he added.
“The Premier League is the highest level in the world. So, I have thought a lot about whether I was willing to give it away again, being captain of a Premier League club.”
After the renewal, the player claims he thought about what could have happened had he signed for a ‘big club’ in Portugal, Spain or Italy. Nørgaard then answered that it would have “hurt” him to give up what he currently has at Brentford.
