(Credit: Imago)

Jack Heath

Tue 12 August 2025 15:39, UK

Martin Odegaard has been criticised as the potential arrival of Eberechi Eze could force him to up his game.

Alexander Isak slammed for extreme Newcastle stance to force Liverpool move	Odegaard and Nwaneri react to Viktor Gyokeres' message about Arsenal's Man United showdown	Alexander Isak REFUSES to play for Newcastle again in bid to force £150m Liverpool transfer

It has been a busy transfer window for Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta’s side don’t seem to be done yet as they look to strengthen even more before the start of the new season.

After bringing in Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP to fix their chance conversion issue, focus is still on club captain Odegaard to step up after disappearing for large parts of last season.

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The Englishman won back-to-back Wembley finals by claiming the Community Shield against Liverpool

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The Gunners have been targeting Crystal Palace’s talisman all summer as Football Insider exclusively revealed that Arsenal are leading the race to sign Eze ahead of Tottenham.

However, the tables could be turning after the Lilywhites have ramped up their interest to explore a deal for the midfielder (BBC Sport).

Speaking on talkSPORT (11 August), Adrian Durham and former Tottenham striker Darren Bent discussed the Scandinavian’s fall from grace for the Gunners.

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Host Durham posed the question of whether the captain would get dropped if he performed as badly as he did at the start of 2025 or even worse, be stripped of the captaincy.

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The ex-Aston Villa frontman, and Gunners fan, Bent responded: “He’d [Odegaard] have to look himself in the mirror…I don’t know what’s happened since the ankle injury but he just hasn’t looked the same and even pre-season he hasn’t looked nowhere near the Odegaard we saw a couple of years ago.

Not good enough for him, not good enough for him at all.”

The retired Sunderland forward then touched on the possibility of Eze replacing the Norwegian if he became injured or continued performing badly, stating: “I think if Arsenal were to go and sign Eze from Crystal Palace, then you’ve got an option there.

“Because, he can play 10 or he can play off the left and that will put him [Odegaard] under more pressure because at the minute he’s the captain, he’s not really being challenged or pushed, he’s almost coasting through games at the minute.”

Bent felt the Eagles talisman would be ideal to displace the Arsenal skipper

Football Insider verdict

With north London rival Spurs hotting up their pursuit for Oliver Glasner’s key creator, Arteta will have to think fast to pinch the England international.

The Gunners were excellent at creating chances last season, but lacked the pivotal converter to finish off the chances as they heavily relied on set-pieces and Bukayo Saka.

There was a distinct lack of goals from open play from the midfielders, considering the Norwegian only managed to score three goals in the Premier League.

Martin Odegaard 2024-25 all competitionsAppearances45Minutes played3,442Goals6Assists11(Source: Sofascore)

If the 26-year-old continues to disappear during the season, assuming the club can land Eze from Palace, the ex-QPR magician can easily break into the starting XI.

The 27-year-old possesses not just creativity but also attacking threat from open play and set-pieces, making him a lucrative signing.

For the Arsenal skipper, if the Eagles’ number 10 was to join this summer, he would have to think long and hard about whether he is being gradually forced out of the Spanish manager’s first-team plans.

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