Danish Dynamite: Albert Grønbæk

Danish Dynamite - Albert Erlykke Grønbæk

5? 8? 10? 15?… or 20 million pounds? How much is Bodø Glimt player Albert Grønbæk worth? 9,8 million pounds is definitely not enough to get Bodø Glimt to sell Grønbæk. Charlotte had the offer rejected, and Grønbæk subsequently signed a new contract(until 2028). Grønbæk was bought for around 1,96 million pounds from danish AGF in August 2022. Transfermarkt values him now at 10 million pounds. He top the value list in the norwegian Eliteserien, three million pounds more than the next player on the list (Sverre Nypan(Rosenborg)).

Source: Transfermarkt

Performances in Europe have created interest far beyond national borders. Much indicates that there will be a new selling transfer record (Datro Fofana, 9,8 million to Chelsea is the record) from Eliteserien the day Grønbæk goes abroad, perhaps already this summer. Grønbæk has become the most attractive and valuable player in the Eliteserien, and that made me curious about why. In this article, I will examine what makes Albert danish dynamite. Let’s take a look!

Position Source: Fotmob

Grønbæk is a midfielder who thrives when he can lead the ball towards the defensive line and threaten dangerous spaces. In Glimt, he has usually played as an 8, left in the middle of a three. On some exceptions when Pellegrino has been out, he has been used as a left-winger (started as a winger away to Brann in November 23).

Dribbles and Finishing

Albert Grønbæk is exceptionally skilled at dribbling the ball and getting past opponents. The combination of agility, ball control, and belief in his own abilities makes him a skilled dribbler and difficult to stop for opponents. Already in the Europa League last season(22/23), he was one of the best at getting past opponents with the ball.

Source: Fbref

Almost 3.6 carries per game (fbref defines progressive carries as leading the ball where the ball is carried at least 10 yards towards the opponent’s goal. Additionally, all carries into the opponent’s penalty box is also included). This season, Grønbæk has just as many carries per game in the Conference League as he had in the Europa League in 2022/23 (this is before the Ajax matches). Therefore, it’s no surprise that Grønbæk also has many carries into the final third. Grønbæk also produces some enormous numbers for successful dribbles! The 99th percentile means that he has more successful dribbles per game than 99% of other midfielders in the tournament. This is obviously a skill that can create imbalance against opponents and something Grønbæk do better than almost any midfielder in europe. Source: fbref

Grøbæk is very dangerous when he faces the opponent’s defensive line. He has skills that allow him to vary between setting up teammates, creating combinations, or going for shots himself. 2.58 shots makes his an eager finisher per game are right at the top among midfielders. 0.29 xG per game is also an indication that he regularly gets goal-scoring opportunities.

Teamplayer

Grønbæk is a two-way player. He is loyal in the work of defending and winning the ball back when Glimt loses possession, and he is an important player in Glimt’s pressing game.

Superman? We need to look and see if Grønbæk has any weaknesses. Source: Fbref

The statistics show that Grønbæk wins few aerial duels. Grønbæk has height but is light and seem to avoids aerial duels. It’s a bit surprising to see the low number of touches per game. Fbref defines a touch as the number of times you have the ball (not actual touches). Albert Grønbæk, has the ball less frequently per game than 95% of other midfielders in the Conference League. And if we look at a simple game, for example vs Lugano away, we could see that. It is obviously natural for defenders to have more possession than attacking players.Many Bodø Glimt players are much more involved than Grønbæk (and 3/4 of Lugano’s midfield players). On the other side, we can question whether it is possible to involve Grønbæk even more by giving him the ball more often and use his ability to create unbalance for the opposition.

Summary

Statistics from Europe show that Albert Grønbæk is tremendous when it comes to carry the ball, dribbling past opponents, and getting shots off. This is his specialty that makes him better and more expensive than anyone else in the norwegian Eliteserien. Grønbæk has a good understanding of the game and the ability to combine and set up teammates. It’s interesting to see that despite his skills, he is relatively less involved compared to his teammates (touches and passes per 90). Considering that, it says something about the quality of the involvements he does have. If Bodø Glimt can increase Grønbæk’s involvement, he can increase the volume of both chance creation, Xg, shots, and probably goals. Additionally, he is a good team player who works hard to win the ball back. In the first leg of Bodø Glimts Conference tie with Ajax we could see how much trobule Grønbæk made for Ajax. He made the difference for Bodø Glimt and that might win the tie for his team. No matter the result in the secound leg, it will be exciting to follow Grønbæk and his future. It will be expensive for those who want to buy some Danish dynamite!

Sources: Transfermarkt Fotmob Fbref Fbref kamprapport