Martin Odegaard’s stance on Arsenal transfer after being told to leave club | Football
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has ‘no plans’ to leave this summer despite calls for him to do so following a frustrating individual season.
Once arguably Arsenal’s most important player, Odegaard’s influence at the Emirates Stadium appears to be on the decline.
Injuries and a dip in form has resulted in Odegaard starting less than half of Arsenal’s league games and scoring just once in 27 games in all competitions.
The 27-year-old, who joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2021, also faces even more competition for a place in the team following Eberechi Eze’s £67.5m move from Crystal Palace last summer.
Eze has largely flattered to deceive for the Gunners but was hailed for his performance in Sunday’s north London derby win over Tottenham, in which he scored twice.
A number of pundits urged Mikel Arteta to give Eze a run in the team following his derby heroics despite Odegaard’s return to fitness.
Liverpool legend Steve Nicol and former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf even advised Odegaard to leave Arsenal this summer, claiming he is no longer an ‘influential’ player for Arteta.
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‘Odegaard might be leaving Arsenal,’ Nicol told ESPN. ‘If you’re him, 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.’
While Odegaard has been linked with a move away from Arsenal, the Norwegian has ‘no plans’ to leave in the summer and remains an integral member of Arteta’s squad, according to Football London.
Now back fit, Odegaard is said to be ‘determined’ to win back his place in the team and help Arsenal not only win trophies this season but going forward.
Arteta is also believed to be happy with Odegaard, who despite his lack of goals this season has contributed five assists, and is confident he will contribute to Arsenal’s title charge over the next two months.
The Gunners, who last won the Premier League in 2004, are five points clear of second-placed Manchester City ahead of Sunday’s London derby against Chelsea.
While Arsenal’s priority is the league, they are still in the hunt for a stunning quadruple as they aim to go deep in the Champions League following a flawless group stage.
Their first chance to win a trophy this season will come next month when they face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, while they are also still in contention to win the FA Cup.
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Martin Odegaard’s stance on Arsenal transfer after being told to leave club | Football
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