Arsenal should money in on £30m star who Wenger mentioned was like “a younger Fabregas”

Arsenal‘s squad depth has been championed this season, and boy, have they wanted it.

Whereas Mikel Arteta‘s males are prime of the Premier League, this has not been an easy marketing campaign on the damage entrance, notably in defence.

Each member of the Arsenal backline in addition to Myles Lewis-Skelly has picked up an damage this time period, with Gabriel Magalhaes a notable absentee when he missed quite a few weeks within the build-up to Christmas.

It is simply as nicely Arsenal signed Piero Hincapie and Cristian Mosquera over the summer time; they’ve been invaluable additions given the circumstances.

That being mentioned, the membership’s squad depth has change into fairly problematic for quite a few gamers on the Emirates Stadium.

The largest losers from Arsenal’s squad depth

No supporter or supervisor can ever complain about having too many choices within the squad however for Arteta, it have to be tough to maintain everyone blissful.

Certainly, he is evidently not been in a position to take action this time period with Ethan Nwaneri becoming a member of Marseille on mortgage in February after failing to start out a single sport within the Premier League. Given the best way he burst onto the scene in 2024/25, it is a disgrace however wants should.

Lewis-Skelly is one other who has endured a very tough marketing campaign. Like Nwaneri, he was one of many greatest tales of final season, dazzling in opposition to Actual Madrid and PSG, whereas scoring on his England debut and hitting the Erling Haaland celebration after discovering the online in opposition to Manchester Metropolis.

But, with Hincapie arriving and Riccardo Calafiori so spectacular at left-back, he is began only one sport within the league. Like Nwaneri – who was now competing with Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke for a spot – he has spent a lot of the marketing campaign on the bench.

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Talking of Eze, he is not discovered life too straightforward both. Signed from Crystal Palace in the summertime, the England worldwide landed a dream transfer to his boyhood membership. He walked out on the Emirates simply days after signing with a beaming smile. He could not maintain again the joy.

All of it going swimmingly too when he bagged a scintillating hat-trick within the north London derby in opposition to Spurs. Since then, nevertheless, his minutes have been restricted. He has not began a Premier League sport for the reason that 2-1 win over Wolves on thirteenth December.

That’s maybe considerably perplexing, notably when you think about the type of Martin Odegaard who’s changing into an expendable asset.

Why Martin Odegaard is changing into a sellable asset

Odegaard’s rise to soccer greatness is an enchanting one. He’s the definition of a wonderkid. Handed his Norway debut on the age of 15, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than he was on the books of Actual Madrid.

It did not work out for him within the Spanish capital however he has discovered a house for himself in England, the place he’s now Arsenal’s captain.

For a lot of a yr, the attacking midfielder has been the chief creator on this Gunners group. He is been the person who makes issues tick and he is been fairly irreplaceable.

Forged your thoughts again to the 2022/23 season. It is maybe been essentially the most free-flowing marketing campaign underneath Arteta to this point and it was no shock that got here when Odegaard produced career-best numbers.

No Premier League midfielder scored greater than his 15 strikes that time period. Since then, nevertheless, the objectives haven’t been flowing in any respect. Some could level to the ankle damage the skipper picked up final time period and for positive, he has lacked conviction together with his actions since then.

Nonetheless, for a participant of his calibre and for a participant in his place at a membership like Arsenal, he must be doing higher. The 27-year-old is within the prime of his profession now however has solely scored one aim this season. Final time period, he solely managed six, three of which got here within the top-flight.

Lengthy gone are the times since Arsene Wenger hailed him as a “younger Cesc Fabregas”. Talking to a Norwegian TV channel again in 2023, the good Frenchman mentioned: “When he was 15, I talked to him. I used to be determined to signal him. Thankfully, he’s right here now. He actually is sort of a younger Cesc Fabregas. I believe he has developed into an entire participant.”

Odegaard actually felt like an entire expertise a number of years in the past however his sport has not developed and he is shortly being overtaken now. Arteta is beginning to realise it too. Certainly, the penny appeared to have dropped within the Nottingham Forest and Manchester United video games when he was withdrawn earlier than the hour mark. He then did not even begin the 4-0 win over Leeds.

Whereas Eze hasn’t had a lot soccer both, it is absolutely time to prioritise him in that function behind the striker. Even Kai Havertz is now staking a declare in that place.

The German has returned to full health with a bang and has struck up fairly the partnership with Viktor Gyokeres already. They linked up brilliantly within the 3-2 win over Kairat Almaty when the previous Chelsea man fed Gyokeres to attain the opening aim of the sport.

To make issues much more sophisticated for Odegaard, Nwaneri will likely be again in competition subsequent season and Max Dowman has been tipped for stardom, together with his favoured function being in the midst of the park.

The Norwegian might be membership captain however the truth of the matter is that if he doesn’t enhance swiftly, Andrea Berta must be trying to transfer him on. Signed for £30m again in the summertime of 2021, it would nicely be time to make a revenue on that now. It appears like Arsenal won’t ever attain the following stage until they’ve a correct goalscoring midfielder taking part in in Odegaard’s place.

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