Arsenal should prioritise the signing of another Martin Odegaard type-player as opposed to a new big-money striker in the 2025 summer transfer window, according to Gunners expert Charles Watts.
Odegaard's presence was sorely missed while the Arsenal captain worked his way back from the ankle injury he picked up in September, but the Norway international has been back to his creative best since exiting the treatment room, proving hugely influential to the Gunners' positive run.
Odegaard has netted one goal and set up three more in his last seven appearances, during which time Arsenal have scored an impressive 17 times, including five away from home against Sporting Lisbon and West Ham United.
After winning just three of their seven Premier League games while Odegaard was out, the Gunners have now triumphed in three of their last four, and Watts told Sports Mole that Arsenal's renaissance can be explained purely by the ex-Real Madrid starlet's return.
"He just makes everyone else play better as well," Watts said. "You just see what Bukayo Saka is doing now when Odegaard's back. Saka was carrying things by himself before the international break, I think Trossard and Havertz's form dipped as well, which was no real surprise because really what they were being asked to do in Odegaard's absence, they're having to play a completely different way to the way they normally play. And I think that impacted them a little bit.
"Odegaard coming back just frees everyone up. It lets them play the way that they want to play in this Arsenal system that is really well drilled. And they just look an awful lot better. I mean, he's such a fantastic footballer.
"He's up there with the best in the world, the best in the world, Martin Odegaard. You put him in any team and it's just immediately a better team. Not just because he's in it, but because of what he brings out of the other players around him. And that telepathic understanding of Bukayo Saka, and we saw it for the Trossard goal [against West Ham], didn't we? The little one-two on the edge of the box, the dinked ball over from Odegaard to Saka.
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"That just wasn't happening before. You look at the football they're playing now compared to the football they were playing before the international break. As simplistic as it sounds it's because Martin Odegaard is there and he wasn't before."
However, Odegaard's powers largely waned in the weekend's 1-1 draw with London rivals Fulham, where Kai Havertz also lacked impetus in the centre-forward role and Gabriel Jesus's struggles off the bench continued.
Bukayo Saka is Arsenal's top scorer in this season's Premier League, but he has only netted five times in the top flight, a tally bettered by 15 other players from 12 clubs including ex-Gunners striker Danny Welbeck.
Arsenal rank significantly lower than title rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City when it comes to open play Expected Goals (xG) this season - averaging 1.06 per game in the Premier League - and Watts believes that they should make another playmaker a priority as opposed to a new number nine.
"There's always been an argument with Arsenal and I think they do need another option as a forward. But I don't necessarily think they need another striker to solve it," Watts added. "Look at Erling Haaland at the moment with City struggling to create. He's not really in games. You stick the best striker in the world at Arsenal at the moment without Martin Odegaard in there, he wouldn't be getting that much service.
"Arsenal score a lot of goals. They scored 90 plus goals last season in the Premier League. They're right up there again. It's not that they don't score goals. So I don't think it's as easy as just to say they need a striker. I've never really been sort of in that boat when that argument comes up.
"I would like another striker. I would like another option because I think Arsenal are light in that department. You're relying on Kai Havertz because, let's face it, Gabriel Jesus usually just isn't scoring. I think he's gone 20 plus games without a goal in the Premier League now, albeit most of those are fleeting substitute appearances. So you need another option.
Watts: 'Arsenal are not guaranteed the title if they sign Viktor Gyokeres'
Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring on November 1, 2024© Imago
"But I don't think it's as simple as just another striker would be the missing link for Arsenal. You almost look at it and think, surely they need another Martin Odegaard-type player more than another striker, because you take Odegaard out and it looks a very different team. If you could replace him with someone who can do kind of what he does, then that might make Arsenal better.
"Or you need another attacking wide player who can score goals as well, which I definitely think they need another option there. We all want more. We all want another striker at Arsenal. I think that's a given. But I don't think it's the answer. Plucking a name out of my head, I don't think Gyokeres, for example, is a guarantee that Arsenal win the league if they sign Gyokeres. I just don't, I don't see it as simple as that."
Speculation surrounding a new attacking arrival in North London was arguably at its peak during Havertz's early struggles in an Arsenal jersey, but the German flourished at the tip of the attack in the second half of the 2023-24 season, allowing Arteta to prioritise defensive and midfield additions in the shape of Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino.
However, the Gunners were still linked with a plethora of high-profile centre-forwards, namely Ivan Toney, Victor Osimhen, Benjamin Sesko and Alexander Isak, the former two of whom joined Al-Ahli and Galatasaray (on loan) respectively while Sesko and Isak stayed put at RB Leipzig and Newcastle United.
Whether it be a striker, winger or Odegaard-esque player, Watts still feels that the Gunners need a game-changing star that can produce that one moment of magic, adding: "As I said, 90 plus goals last season for Arsenal. They didn't struggle putting the ball in the net, that's not why they didn't win the league. But the thing with Arsenal, there seems to be always a couple of spells in a season where things dry up a little bit and the chances don't really happen.
"We saw it before the international break. We saw it last season over Christmas at this sort of period when we played West Ham, lost to West Ham, lost to Fulham. Didn't really create much. And that seems to be a bit of a theme. There's a couple of points in a season where they fall out of form and the chances just don't start happening.
Arsenal to let Jesus move on for the right price?
Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus pictured on October 19, 2024© Imago
"And that's when the striker debate always rears its head because at a time when maybe you are struggling to create, you need someone who's just going to score a goal out of nothing. Just do something unbelievable in the penalty area where it looks like you're not going to score and bang, you just create the goal out of nothing. Maybe that's the sort of player that Arsenal don't have when you're playing badly. Someone who can just drag you up and win you a game out of nothing. There is definitely an argument that that type of player is needed."
Much may depend on Jesus's next career move, as Arsenal reportedly blocked an approach from the Brazilian's former side Palmeiras, but Watts thinks that the ex-Manchester City starlet will be allowed to leave for the right price in 2025.
"From my understanding anyway, they were looking in the summer to bring in that X-factor type player who could maybe win a game that was really, really tight that seemed to be drifting," he said. "They obviously didn't get that player in and they couldn't sign who they wanted to sign. Whether that happens this summer, we'll have to wait and see.
"We know they did want to sign a striker anyway last summer. They did push very hard for Benjamin Sesko. It didn't happen. He stayed at Leipzig. Whether they revisit that interest or move elsewhere in the summer, we'll have to wait and see. But it's certainly going to be on their agenda again.
"We don't know what's going to happen with Gabriel Jesus in the summer either. The most likelihood is if they can find a buyer that he will be allowed to go. Then we'll definitely 100% need to bring in another forward."
Jesus's only goal for Arsenal this season came against Preston North End in the third round of the EFL Cup, and the South American is on a 22-game goal drought in the Premier League since netting against Nottingham Forest on January 30.
Havertz is expected to reprise his role up front when Arsenal take on Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
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