Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been linked with a shock departure from the club ahead of the summer transfer window closing.
The Norwegian midfielder endured a difficult campaign by his own high standards, managing just one Premier League goal across the season.
Odegaard played nearly 1,400 minutes in the league last season, chipping in with seven assists but failing to nail down a guaranteed starting spot.
Arsenal signed Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace last summer, and the former Palace man is expected to take on a more prominent attacking midfield role going forward.
Insider Mick Brown has now claimed that Odegaard could be moved on, suggesting the shift in attacking options at the Emirates is a significant factor.
“It’s possible (that he could leave). In the early part of last season, the biggest threat that Arsenal had was Odegaard linking up with Saka, and they were doing that very well,” Brown told Football Insider.
“I think he realised that he had to get the ball early to Saka before he gets into that final third and then is out of places to go. Then he got injured, went out of the team, and they couldn’t find the same link of play,” Brown added.
Brown also reflected on the criticism directed at Odegaard during his injury-hit period, noting that the midfielder’s absence exposed just how much Arsenal had depended on that connection with Bukayo Saka.
“I used to think he was getting unfair criticism through being injured, but never mind, it’s happened and before it’ll happen again. So, from what I hear, he could leave Arsenal. It would not surprise me if he did,” Brown said.
With Odegaard unlikely to accept a reduced role at a club of Arsenal’s ambition, finding a new challenge elsewhere may well be in his best interests.
There will be no shortage of top clubs willing to make a move for a player of Odegaard’s quality, should Arsenal decide to make him available on the market.
Any sale could generate significant funds for Arsenal, giving Mikel Arteta additional resources to address the club’s pressing need for a top-class striker and wide attacker.
It remains to be seen whether a suitable destination can be identified for Odegaard in the weeks ahead, with the transfer window moving quickly.
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