(Credit: Imago)

Oliver Walton

Thu 14 August 2025 17:19, UK

Mikel Arteta has been told to take Arsenal’s captain armband off Martin Odegaard and give it to Declan Rice on the eve of the new Premier League campaign.

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Arsenal tasted disappointment again last term as Arteta led his side to a second-placed finish in the Premier League for a third consecutive season.

Their title hopes never really got off the ground due to Liverpool’s outstanding form, and Odegaard struggled to reach his previous heights in North London after he had been named as the Gunners’ Player of the Season for both 2022/23 and 2023/24 and named as club captain prior to the former campaign.

(Credit: Imago)

The Norwegian international registered just three goals and eight assists in 30 league appearances last term amid form and injury issues, and his starting position could be under threat soon after highly-rated playmaker Ethan Nwaneri recently signed a new Arsenal contract.

Arsenal fans began to doubt Odegaard toward the end of the previous campaign, and his role as captain has now been questioned with the start of the new season just days away.

Former Arsenal captain and club legend Tony Adams recently urged Arteta to strip Odegaard of his leadership duties and hand Rice the armband ahead of the new campaign, saying: “Arsenal will not win the Premier League with Odegaard as captain.” [Indo Sport].

His quotes were put to ex-professional and current pundit Gabby Agbonlahor live on talkSPORT on Thursday (14 August), and the former Aston Villa striker agreed with Adams and also urged the Gunners boss to do the same, saying: “Amen is what I’d say, because last season Odegaard was not at the levels (required).

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“I feel like you saw more and more last season, Odegaard getting taken off when Arsenal needed a goal, and I agree (with Adams).

“Declan Rice will play every game, he’s got the captain material, he will drive that team, and then maybe that takes a bit of pressure off Odegaard and makes him get back to the form that he showed a couple of seasons ago.

Mikel Arteta probably agrees, deep down.”

Football Insider verdict

While Odegaard definitely struggled last term compared to his first two seasons as a permanent Arsenal player, he is still a quality operator in the Premier League and could very easily return to his previous form in 2025/26.

Arteta’s switch to a rigid, defensive-minded style of play arguably did not suit the 26-year-old’s needs at all, but the recent acquisitions of Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres should shift their set-up to better accommodate his talents, and so he may well shine again soon for the North London outfit.

AppearancesGoalsAssists1984138Odegaard’s Arsenal career stats

With that in mind, switching the armband to Rice would surely just make a smaller issue into a much greater one, when Arsenal need every player pulling in the same direction if they want to lift silverware this season.

The England midfielder is already a vocal leader on the pitch, and so making him captain would not change that aspect of his game, while it would surely have a detrimental effect on Odegaard’s confidence and then possibly his form, so it feels like it would ill-advised by Arteta to make such a move.

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