Early career
Nartey was born in Bagsværd, Gladsaxe Municipality, a suburb to Copenhagen, and was raised in Værebroparken [ da ], 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]
