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Analysis
- 2 hours ago
Have Arsenal outgrown Odegaard? Why it might be the right time for Arteta to cash in on his captain
Suraj Radia
- 8 Feb 2026 12:55 GMT
- 4 min read
Analysis
Arsenal continue to be marching onto their first Premier League title in more than 20 years but their captain Martin Odegaard may prove to be a footnote in their campaign after finding his role diminishing in Mikel Arteta’s side.
Odegaard has missed the last two games for Arsenal with injury but the Gunners have not missed him, with a win against Chelsea followed by a 3-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday.
Current ETV
Martin Ødegaard
M, AM (C)
Arsenal
Martin Ødegaard
M, AM (C)
Arsenal
ETV Range
€69.7M - €85.2M
Perhaps a bigger factor for Arteta has been the return of Kai Havertz after essentially a year out with injury and the German has boasted two goals and two assists in his last four appearances across all competitions.
Arsenal have also been buoyed by the form of Viktor Gyokeres after a slow start, with the Swede netting six times in his last eight games and two of his goals being assisted by Havertz –one more than Odegaard has created for his teammate.
The form of Havertz, Gyokeres and Arsenal means that Odegaard may struggle to immediately get back into the team when he returns in ‘a matter of days’, according to Arteta.
Moreover, with the 27-year-old entering the final two years of his contract and ready to consider his options, with former club Real Madrid lurking, this season could spell the end of Odegaard’s time at the Emirates Stadium.
Odegaard on the decline as minutes take its toll on former wonderkid
Injuries has meant that Odegaard has started just 13 of Arsenal’s 25 league matches this season and the Norwegian has not found his best form during his limited appearances either, with just one goal and four assists so far this year.
In fact, Odegaard’s 16 goal contributions since the start of last season still do not match the 18 that he mustered in the 2023/24 campaign, suggesting that it has been a long time since the playmaker has played to his peak.
Odegaard missed eight Premier League matches last season too and the injuries could be catching up to a player who has been playing senior professional football since the age of 15.
Arsenal could perhaps make a shrewd call by taking advantage of any interest in Odegaard now instead of giving him a bumper new extension, particularly with Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz reportedly being considered as a replacement.
It appears that, despite being a key figure for Arsenal for five years, Odegaard’s last act as a Gunner could be to lift the Premier League trophy in May in a fitting send off for a player who the club may have simply outgrown in their rise to the top.
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