FEE AGREED: Arsenal agree transfer fee to sign Martin Odegaard’s replacement as the midfielder hailed as the best in the world
There is no point in sugarcoating it; this season has been one big disappointment for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s side would have come into the campaign looking to make it the third time’s the charm in the Premier League, but instead, they have just secured a second-placed finish for the third year running.
Now, injuries have played their part, but if we are being honest, most of the North Londoners’ star players also failed to step up this year, with reigning Player of the Year Martin Odegaard perhaps the worst offender.
The club captain has looked a shadow of his former self for much of the campaign, and while he could get back to his best next year, he might not have the chance, as recent reports have linked the club to another Premier League star who could be the perfect upgrade.
Arsenal transfer news
With how lacklustre Odegaard has been this year, it’s hardly surprising that in the last few weeks, Arsenal have been linked with a plethora of possible replacements, such as Rayan Cherki and Morgan Rogers.
The latter is supposedly available for close to £100m, and while that’s likely too much for the Gunners, it would be hard to say it’s not a fair valuation, considering he’s racked up a tally of 14 goals and 15 assists in 53 appearances for Aston Villa this term.
On the other hand, Cherki looks like he’s going to be available for just £19m, which could be one of the bargains of the summer, as in just 44 appearances for Lyon this season, the 21-year-old has scored 12 goals and provided 20 assists.
However, Arteta and Co might want to bring in someone who is already Premier League-proven and has been performing for years now, someone like Eberechi Eze.
According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal are one of a number of clubs incredibly interested in signing the Crystal Palace star this summer.
The report claims that the Gunners are now ready to step up their pursuit of the Englishman, which would require them to trigger the £68m release in his current contract.
It would be a costly transfer to get done, but given his ability and record, it is one well worth fighting for, especially as he could be an ideal Odegaard upgrade.
How Eze compares to Odegaard
So then, the first thing to clear up is that while Eze is more than capable of in several positions, including out on the left of a front three, he’s spent most of his career – and much of this season – in attacking midfield.
Therefore, while he could fill in all over for Arsenal, his main rival for game time would almost certainly be Odegaard, but which one comes out on top when we compare them?
Well, when it comes to their pure output, which is ultimately what matters most, it’s an easy win for the Palace star.
For example, despite playing in a weaker team this season, the “unbelievable” Englishman, as dubbed by Statman Dave, has scored 13 goals and provided 11 assists in 41 appearances, totalling 3232 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.70 games, or every 134.66 minutes.
In contrast, the Gunners’ number eight has scored just five goals and provided 12 assists in 44 appearances, totalling 3432 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.58 games, or every 201.88 minutes.
Moreover, while the former Real Madrid wonderkid appears to be a good leader for his team, he rarely shows up in the biggest games, which has been particularly noticeable this term, against Paris Saint-Germain and his former club.
On the other hand, the Eagles “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, has been his side’s main man on multiple big occasions this year, scoring the opening goal in their FA Cup Semi-Final against Aston Villa and then netting the only goal against Manchester City in the Final, in turn securing the club their first ever major honour.
Ultimately, Odegaard is still a good player, but Eze has shown himself to be more of an attacking threat and someone who thrives in the big games and can drag his team over the finishing line.
Therefore, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him this summer.
