Brown believes it’s “good news” if Odegaard commits his future to Arsenal but believes it’s too early to claim that he is one of the club’s “best signings of the last decade”, given the sheer amount of acquisitions they have made since 2013. The journalist told GIVEMESPORT:
“I think it's good news if Odegaard commits his long-term future. He's the captain, and Arteta has given him a lot of responsibility. He kind of runs the show at the moment in that team. He's the one pulling the strings. He's important to how they set up and how they play. I think he's got a way to go before we can say he's one of Arsenal's best signings of the last decade. They've signed a lot of players in that time. I think they’d have to start winning some trophies regularly before we can say that he's right up there in that category. But, he certainly could be.”
What has Odegaard said about his time at Arsenal?
Having almost chosen Arsenal over Real Madrid in 2015, it seemed like fate that Odegaard would eventually make his Emirates bow six years later, where he would soon become a permanent fixture before long. Speaking to The Players’ Tribune, the Norway international makes it clear that he has an affection for the club and isn’t considering a move elsewhere yet.
“I will say this, though, if there’s anyone left who still doesn’t fully believe in this team, take it from me: there are no limits on what we can achieve. No one can tell me otherwise. I’m so proud to be captain of this club, and I feel like I’m going to be here a long time.”
It’s clear that Odegaard is settled in north London, and achieving success by winning trophies and competing in Europe is on his priority list. This will come as music to the ears of Arsenal fans, who will be desperate to see their club captain remain at the club for the long-term future.
Who are Arsenal’s best signings of the decade?
Should Arsenal achieve a Premier League triumph this season, it would be hard to argue against Odegaard being the pick of the club’s signings since the summer of 2015. Current Inter forward Alexis Sanchez made an impression upon his arrival at the Emirates Stadium from Barcelona in the summer of 2014 in a deal worth around £35m. The Chile international bagged 80 goals and provided 45 assists in 166 appearances for the Gunners before being sold to Manchester United in January 2018.
Arsenal also got success out of expensive acquisitions such as Mesut Ozil and Aubameyang, but both players would end up leaving the club for free, having been frozen out towards the end of their spells at the club. Therefore, Arsenal’s current crop of talent has the potential to become a generational team for the club, having been used to being also-rans in the title conversation for almost twenty years.At United, O’Driscoll is poised to come in and take up the responsibilities left by predecessor Steve McNally, who left in February after more than 16 years with the Red Devils.
McNally is currently the Performance Support Director for the PGMOL. Former Liverpool doctor Jim Moxon has been filling the role on an interim basis since McNally left.
Last season, United struggled with key players suffering injuries at different points of the campaign.
It hasn’t been much different so far this term. At the moment, United’s injury list consists of the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Mason Mount. There are also question marks over Sofyan Amrabat who was sent home by Morocco, although this is thought to be a precautionary measure.
There were fears over the fitness of Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof, who both had to be taken off when the 20-time English champions suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal just before the international break. They’re however expected to be fine considering they’ve been actively involved with their respective national teams.
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