Brondby’s Mathias Kvistgaarden statement as Norwich City near £12m ace, ‘reminds me of Wayne Rooney’

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As West Brom close in on Aune Heggebo, another free-scoring Scandinavian appears to be on his way to the Championship in the shape of the Norwich City-bound Brondby hitman Mathias Kvistgaarden.

The Baggies have not had a 20-goal a season striker since Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez hit the mark six years ago.

Now, as West Brom agree a £4.7m deal for Aune Heggebo, the Bergen-born talisman of SK Brann will be the man entrusted with bringing a much-needed ruthless streak to the Hawthorns.

Norwich City, in contrast, found goals a lot easier to come by last season. The Canaries scored 14 more goals than West Brom during the 2024/25 Championship campaign, despite finishing four places below them in the table.

But, with concerns surrounding the futures of both Josh Sargent and Borja Sainz, Norwich have surprisingly moved into pole position for a centre-forward linked with Celtic, RC Lens and West Ham United earlier in the window; Mathias Kvistgaarden.

Mathias Kvistgaarden out of Brondby squad as Norwich City close in

Danish publication Tipsbladet broke the news on Friday that Norwich were close to reaching an agreement with the Brondby star.

There is confidence now at Carrow Road that a striker with admirers at the Scottish champions, let alone top-flight clubs in England and France, will be swapping one yellow jersey for another.

The transfer fee has not yet been revealed, though Brondby have been holding out for £12 million. Kvistgaarden could overtake Christos Tzolis, then, while becoming the most expensive acquisition in Norwich’s history.

The aforementioned Aune Heggebo was left out of the SK Brann squad for this weekend’s trip to Norwegian rivals HamKam.

Kvistgaarden was conspicuous by his absence, too, as Brondby took on Velje Boldklub. His name was nowhere to be seen on the squad list posted on Brondby’s official X account.

Kvistgaarden, who has been likened to Sweden legend Henrik Larsson by former Denmark international Thomas Gravesen, could find himself with big shoes to fill in East Anglia.

Kvistgaarden likened to Wayne Rooney as Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent rumours swirl

FC Porto are leading the race for Borja Sainz; the mercurial forward who finished second behind Leeds United’s Joel Piroe in the Championship Golden Boot race last term.

Star striker Josh Sargent has admirers at Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Fulham and Everton, as well as Leeds. AS Roma have been linked too recently.

“Kvistgaarden, for me, is the best striker in the Danish league,” former Brondby coach Jesper Sorensen told Celtic Way when a move to Glasgow looked most likely. “He can make goals on his own or for others. He can finish with both his left and his right foot, as well as with his head.

“[Kvistgaarden] is a small striker, but he plays like a big target man in games. Mathias is a multi-dimensional player, who can link up the play and make things happen when one-on-one with the defence. He is very strong in the box and can head the ball better than people in Denmark give him credit for. 

“I don’t want to big him up too quickly, but he reminds me of Wayne Rooney, who was a smaller striker but strong, with a good shot on him, too.

“He’s not Wayne Rooney, of course – he was a generational player – but Kvistgaarden is a very good football player.”

Norwich have already made great strides attempting to reinforce a backline which cost Johannes Hoff Thorup a shot at the play-offs last time out.

Goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic arrives from Sporting Lisbon.

Norwich beat Middlesbrough, Birmingham and West Brom to former Ajax defender Jakov Medic, while new head coach Liam Manning reunites with Harry Darling following his departure from Swansea City.