Brondby boss breaks silence on Norwich’s Mathias Kvistgaarden deal, he’s ‘better than Pukki’

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With Borja Sainz closing in on a move to FC Porto and Josh Sargent attracting Premier League interest, at least Norwich City have Mathias Kvistgaarden in the building at Carrow Road.

One half of the Canaries’ free-scoring partnership already appears to have one foot out the door.

Fabrizio Romano reported earlier this week that Borja Sainz will join Portuguese giants Porto for a fee in the region of £14 million. And as Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland pursue Josh Sargent – EFL Analysis understands the USA international is valued at £18 million himself – Norwich City face a fierce battle hanging onto the other half of arguably the Championship’s finest frontline.

The arrival of Mathias Kvistgaarden from Danish outfit Brondby should at least offset the loss of Sainz, while reducing the goalscoring burden on Sargent’s shoulders in the meantime.

Kvistgaarden’s signing has the Norwich faithful excited for the dawn of a new Championship campaign. Whatever happens regarding Sainz and Sargent, the £6.9 million addition of a striker with admirers among top-flight clubs in England and France – not to mention at Scottish champions Celtic – felt like a massive coup for highly-rated sporting director Ben Knapper.

Brondby coach Frederik Birk, though, is less interested in those heading out. Focusing instead on a post-Kvistgaarden future.

Brondby coach Frederik Birk positive despite Mathias Kvistgaarden’s Norwich City move

Mathias Kvistgaarden was left out of Brondby’s squad for Saturday’s 2-1 friendly victory over Velje, completing his move to East Anglia soon after.

Birk saw Kotoro Uchino step up in Kvistgaarden’s absence with both goals against Velje. Filip Bundgaard then netted the winner in a 1-0 triumph over LASK Linz on Wednesday.

Thus, leaving Birk confident that life without Kvistgaarden is still worth living.

“Uchino delivered the other day and Bundgaard did well at number nine today,” the coach tells reporters as he opens up on the departure of last season’s 23-goal top scorer. “And we have been joined by Sho Fukuda, who we will hopefully see against Hertha Berlin in the last match down here. 

“These are some young, hungry guys. So it’s not because I’m missing offensive players as such [after losing Kvistgaarden], but some goals also need to be delivered because some goals have been lost.

“In terms of covering the positions, some notable players have left. So my enormous curiosity right now is how some of the players who didn’t play that much last season are handling it.” 

Norwich newbie Kvistgaarden is ‘better’ than 2018 Teemu Pukki

Kvistgaarden has been likened to Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney over in Scandinavia.

Brondby expert Toke Theilade, speaking to EFL Analysis, believes Kvistgaarden is further along now than Teemu Pukki was when the Norwich City legend moved to Carrow Road back in 2018.

“Wayne Rooney is an interesting comparison because they are both smaller players who play with a lot of passion and heart with great finishing and technical abilities,” Theilade begins. “Norwich fans will also remember Teemu Pukki, who also came from Brondby.

“I said recently that I think Kvistgaarden is actually a better player now than Pukki was when he left Brondby. He’s more complete and dangerous.”

“He is a striker, but he can play many different roles as a striker. This season he has been used as the number nine for Brondby, and had his best year when it comes to goal scoring.

“However, I think his best position is when he is lying behind another striker with a bit more freedom. He has played this role in the previous two seasons and excelled.”

Norwich hope to sign Silkeborg midfielder Pelle Mattsson too, in what would be their second Danish Superliga addition of the window.

Former Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic replaces Angus Gunn, meanwhile, as new boss Liam Manning looks to put together a new-look central defensive partnership of Jakov Medic and Harry Darling.