Noah Nartey
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.png) Nartey in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Noah Teye Nartey[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 5 October 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Bagsværd, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Lyon | ||
| Number | 99 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2018 | VB 1968 | ||
| 2018–2021 | Copenhagen | ||
| 2021–2024 | Brøndby | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024–2026 | Brøndby | 54 | (7) |
| 2026– | Lyon | 8 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022 | Denmark U17 | 8 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | Denmark U18 | 10 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | Denmark U19 | 8 | (0) |
| 2024– | Denmark U21 | 9 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22 March 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 14 October 2025 | |||
Noah Teye Nartey (born 5 October 2005) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for French Ligue 1 club Lyon.
Early career
Nartey was born in Bagsværd, Gladsaxe Municipality, a suburb to Copenhagen, and was raised in Værebroparken, a public housing project.[2] He began playing football at a young age, often alongside his friends and his older brother, fellow professional player Nikolas Nartey. At six years old, he joined Værebro Boldklub, where his journey into organised football began.[2][3] Later, at the age of 12, he entered FC Copenhagen's academy, progressing through the various youth teams.[2][4] Notably, he made a mark for the under-17 team, contributing a goal in the cup final (alongside Roony Bardghji), although they were defeated by Nordsjælland's U17s after penalties in 2021.[5] Additionally, he played a pivotal role in securing the under-17 league title.[6]
Brøndby
In August 2021, Nartey signed with Copenhagen's main rivals Brøndby, joining their academy at under-17 level.[7] In November 2022, he signed a contract extension with the club, keeping him at the club until 2025.[8]
Prior to the 2023–24 season, Nartey joined Brøndby's first team in pre-season training camp alongside Ludwig Vraa-Jensen and Clement Bischoff.[9] During the winter break, he impressed during training camp in Portugal, and was praised by his teammates. At that point, he was already a key player for Brøndby's under-19 team.[10] On 25 February 2024, he made his professional debut in the Danish Superliga, replacing Daniel Wass in the 85th minute of a 3–0 away win over OB.[11] The following month, on 17 March, he made his first start, helping his team to a 4–1 home victory against Silkeborg.[12]
Nartey scored his first professional goal on 25 July 2024 in a UEFA Conference League qualifier against Llapi, contributing to a 6–0 victory for Brøndby.[13] On 2 September, he signed a three-year contract extension, keeping him at the club until 2027.[14] On 29 November, he scored his first Superliga goal, scoring the decisive goal in a 1–0 home win over AaB.[15] The goal came after some time away from the starting lineup, which he described as "a learning experience".[16]
After the winter break, Nartey scored a stoppage-time winning goal in a 4–3 Superliga victory over Randers on 21 April 2025.[17] On 25 May 2025, he also scored in a 3–2 league victory against AGF.[18] Throughout the spring of 2025, Nartey's performances prompted media speculation about his future, with commentators suggesting he would attract interest from clubs outside Denmark.[18] In league play, he showed both attacking output and combative presence, though not without disciplinary moments; he received a red card in a 2–2 draw with Nordsjælland that saw his dismissal cost Brøndby a potential win.[19][20]
At the start of the 2025–26 season, Nartey continued to feature regularly. He was named Danish Superliga Young Player of the Month in both September and October, following a run of goals and assists in league and cup competition.[21] By the end of the 2025 calendar year, he had scored seven goals in all competitions and was named Brøndby IF Player of the Year.[22][23]
Speculation regarding a potential transfer intensified during the second half of 2025. In September, Tipsbladet reported that French club Lyon had submitted a bid of approximately €7 million, which Brøndby rejected.[24] Later that year, Bold reported that Nartey had declined a contract extension offered by Brøndby,[25] which Brøndby sporting director Benjamin Schmedes confirmed in early January 2026.[26] At the time of Nartey's departure later that month, he had made 71 competitive appearances for Brøndby, scoring 12 goals in all competitions.[22]
Lyon
On 19 January 2026, Nartey signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with French Ligue 1 club Lyon, committing him to the club until June 2030.[27] The transfer was completed for a reported fee of €7.5 million, with performance-related bonuses potentially increasing the total value to €10 million, and included a 20% sell-on clause in favour of his former club Brøndby.[22] At Lyon, Nartey was given the number 99 jersey.[28]
Style of play
Nartey characterises himself as a dynamic, fast-paced player with a knack for dribbling past opponents.[2] He possesses a strong drive when in possession of the ball and has drawn comparisons to Paul Pogba in terms of his passing and dribbling prowess.[2]
Personal life
Nartey is of Ghanaian descent through his father and his mother is Danish.[29][30] He is younger brother of Nikolas Nartey, the professional footballer who currently plays for VfB Stuttgart.[2]