Green Street Hammers writer James has paid particular attention to the midfielder position for this month's transfer window. West Ham's midfield core is expected to take a hit this month, as Saïd Benrahma and Pablo Fornals are both linked with moves away from East London.
One midfielder who could be seen as a replacement for Fornals is 22-year-old Albert Grønbæk. Grønbæk is not a well-known name throughout Europe yet, but that could soon change now that clubs in England and Italy have expressed an interest in signing him.
Grønbæk has developed into a creative player during his time at Norwegian outfit Bodø/Glimt, especially because the team is known for his dynamic and high-octane attacking approach to games. Manager Kjetil Knutsen has began to deploy the Dane into a central attacking role, and the results have been eye-catching.
QUICK FACTS
Name | Albert Grønbæk Erlykke |
|---|---|
Age | 22 |
Nationality | Danish |
Place of Birth | Risskov, Denmark |
Club | FK Bodø/Glimt |
Position | Central Midfielder/Attacking Midfielder |
Honours | 1x Eliteserien |
BIOGRAPHY
Albert Grønbæk played for AGF's youth team as a child and made his debut for the club in 2019. Before the start of the 2020/21 season, it was announced that he had been promoted to the senior team and that he would begin pre-season training. He played 75 games for AGF and scored eight goals.
FK Bodø/Glimt signed Grønbæk in August 2022, with AGF receiving a club-record fee for the player. Despite seeing limited game time in the 2022 season, he began to feature more in the side last season and played in 28 league games. His nine goals helped his side to win a league title, Bodø/Glimt's third league triumph in four seasons.
He has played for Denmark at U18, U19 and U21 level.
STYLE OF PLAY
One trait that stands out with Grønbæk is his refined ball control; this is something that he likes to excel at when he is under pressure from opposition players. He has slim build, which enables him to swerve around players and manouevre out of a defensive blockade. Furthemore, Grønbæk carries the ball long distances in a box-to-box role and demonstrates his tenacious ability as a dribbler.
Most of his goals come from first-time shots. He exploits space in or outside of the box to create chances for himself, shooting the ball and testing the goalkeeper in the process. He also likes to shoot from distance.