The Arsenal star who could become victim of Arteta's most ruthless transfer decision yet
Mikel Arteta’s squad has evolved through some shrewd transfer business but the Arsenal boss could be set to make his most ruthless decision yet next year.
The North London side have gone from perennial underachievers to one of the most feared teams in Europe, culminating in their first Premier League title last season in more than 20 years.
However, Arsenal still fell short of breaking their one true drought, having lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League title and Arteta will be desperate to continue elevating the standards in order to finally secure a European trophy for the club.
The Gunners spent €227 million in the summer to upgrade their team, which led to the sales of long-term squad players such as Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard and the club-record departure of Gabriel Martinelli.
Only Manchester United and Tottenham have a higher net spend than Arsenal in the last five years across the Premier League and Arteta’s side will need to keep cashing in on players in order to continue upgrading the team and get closer to Champions League glory.
Arsenal’s desire to add another world-class attacker to their ranks next year could force the club to make room for an incoming by selling a star player and all signs are pointing to captain Martin Odegaard being the most likely candidate to be the latest high-profile departure in Arteta’s brutal decision-making.
Martin Odegaard: Arsenal’s former talisman now facing uncomfortable questions
Odegaard joined Arsenal in 2021 and, at his peak, the former Real Madrid star was the club’s most important player, being named their player of the season for two years straight as well as Ballon d’Or nominations in 2023 and 2024.
However, the 27-year-old’s stock has somewhat declined in recent times due to a combination of injuries and inconsistent displays, leading to Odegaard having his least-productive season last year, making just 24 Premier League appearances and scoring once.
Although Odegaard has been an ever-present under Arteta this season, the Norwegian international is in the last two years of his contract and has yet to sign a new deal with the club.
Talks are believed to be ongoing over a new deal and an agreement is expected to be reach but the likes of Bayern Munich are monitoring the situation and could give Arsenal a tough decision to consider if they make an offer close to his €67m Estimated Transfer Value (ETV.)
Arsenal have previously dismissed speculation linking Odegaard with an exit but Arteta has never shied away from moving on from key players, particularly if a worthy upgrade is available and a strong financial offer is on the table for a sale.
With players such as Eli Junior Kroupi and Kenan Yildiz on the club’s agenda, Odegaard’s market value means Arsenal cannot ignore interest in him if they wish to continue enhancing the squad and bringing in world-class stars.
Much will depend on Odegaard’s performances, with the attacking midfielder having produced 51 Premier League goal contributions in his first three seasons at the club, compared to just 20 in the two following years, plus the start of this campaign.
Having seen the likes of Bukayo Saka, Arteta and, imminently, Declan Rice, commit their futures to the club in recent months, Arsenal’s stalling of Odegaard’s contract is no mistake and they will want to ensure any bumper new deals are justified.
Odegaard remains a crucial leader for Arsenal but, even if he pens a new contract at the Emirates, doubts will persist over his future unless consistency can be found with his fitness and performances in order to lead his side to Champions League success this season.
