Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been urged to consider offloading Martin Odegaard this summer.
Martin Odegaard put on another disappointing display in Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League semifinal first-leg draw with Atletico Madrid.
Odegaard’s season has been plagued by a recurring knee injury, limiting the 27-year-old to just 19 starts across all competitions.
His struggle for rhythm was evident at the Wanda Metropolitano, where he was hauled off before the hour mark.
The substitution has fueled concerns in Norway that the midfielder remains significantly hampered by the physical issues that have sidelined him for much of the campaign.
Arsenal urged to move on from ineffective Odegaard
Speaking on talkSPORT, former Premier League midfielder Jamie O’Hara pulled no punches, questioning Odegaard’s future both as a starter and as the club’s captain.
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“Last season he wasn’t great either,” O’Hara said.
“He’s been terrible this season, getting dragged in the Champions League semi-final when you’re the captain is never a good look. I do believe that Arsenal maybe are growing away from Odegaard. Maybe they’ve got to look at a player who can come in and be that talisman.”
O’Hara also noted that while players like Eberechi Eze have provided sparks off the bench, the lack of a dominant, world-class figure in the “number 10” role is becoming a problem for the Gunners.
“Odegaard needs to up his game. He needs to buck his ideas up because he will end up falling down a pecking order. I don’t think he can be the captain anymore.”