Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been urged to leave the club this summer as he is no longer an ‘influential’ player for boss Mikel Arteta, who now prefers to play Eberechi Eze.
Odegaard has only contributed three Premier League goals last season and has endured another underwhelming campaign this term, starting less than half of Arsenal’s games. And even when fit, Odegaard has often been benched by Arteta, who last summer sanctioned Arsenal’s £67.5m move from Eberechi Eze.
Odegaard only came on as a late substitute against Tottenham at the weekend and this was further proof of his increasingly bit-part status at Arsenal, according to Liverpool legend Steve Nicol and ex-Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf.
Asked how Arteta should use Odegaard for the rest of the season as ARSENAL chase a long-awaited Premier League title, Nicol said on ESPN: ‘Odegaard might be leaving Arsenal.
‘If you’re Odegaard, the club captain and 18 months ago you were the guy. All of a sudden – and I know he’s had some injuries – but there’s question marks over whether he actually starts because of Eze.
‘And maybe because of the way he’s been playing, someone else might get ahead of him as well. So if you’re Martin Odegaard, do you stick around? I don’t think you do.’
Leboeuf added: ‘I agree, I agree. I’ve always liked Martin Odegaard and the way he plays because he’s very elegant, but he’s not influential anymore.
‘He’s there to start the action, to distribute the ball horizontally. But with Eze right now the moves are not the same, he’s more vertical, more influential and he’s going to help [Viktor] Gyokeres too
‘So it will be a hard time for Odegaard and he will have to make a very good choice, a big choice, at the end of the season.’
Wil Odegaard leave Arsenal?
Look, Odegaard has not been himself this season as injuries have really stopped him from playing at his best, but surely he is a player that Mikel Arteta wants in the ARSENAL squad and will not sell in the summer?
There are a few months left of the season, but Odegaard wants to play and if things do not change, then yes he could leave Arsenal.
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