Arsenal could make Odegaard even better by signing £50m star who’s “just like Rice”

Mikel Arteta would complete his midfield by sealing this ambitious deal.

Arsenal-Rice-Odegaard

Arsenal might have ended up empty-handed but it would be rather difficult to take a stand that Mikel Arteta and his men failed to impress during the 2023/24 campaign, narrowly missing out on Manchester City in the title race.

The Gunners have now accrued 173 points across two Premier League seasons and have looked rather good while doing it, with so many players impressing in the finely wrought system, but none more so than captain Martin Odegaard.

martin-odegaard-arsenal

He's a brilliant player, all-encompassing and commanding, and with the right signing this summer, he could actually see his game raised even higher - which is a knee-wobbling thought.

Arsenal eyeing Odegaard partner

According to talkSPORT, Arsenal and Juventus are ready to pounce as Aston Villa weighs up selling Douglas Luiz amid PSR concerns.

Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz

Arsenal are reportedly been told that a bid in the region of £50m will do the trick, and now Arteta must decide whether indeed he should accelerate interest in the Brazil midfielder.

Why Arsenal are interested in Douglas Luiz

Back in September 2022, Arteta's side lodged their third and final offer of £25m for Luiz, but Villa were steadfast in their resolve and he remained at Villa Park.

Okay, one year later Arsenal signed Declan Rice for £105m from West Ham United, and he's hardly struggled to make his mark in north London, but with Thomas Partey set to leave, as per Fabrizio Romano, signing Luiz would be really interesting.

Firstly, Luiz and Rice are actually quite similar, and while the Gunners have spent much of the campaign with Rice playing in a freer creative role than that of the holding midfield, his 25-year-old counterpart could be perfect to offer a dynamic and versatile engine room, allowing Odegaard, in turn, to play with even greater freedom himself as the final point of the triangle. A frightening thought indeed. Could the Norwegian improve even further? With more midfield protection it's a very realistic possibility.

Premier League 23/24: Douglas Luiz vs Declan Rice

Stat (per 90)

Douglas Luiz

Declan Rice

Matches played

Matches started

Goals

Assists

Pass completion

89%

91%

Big chances created

Key passes

1.5

1.2

Ball recoveries

5.3

4.7

Tackles

1.7

2.2

Duels won

4.2 (51%)

4.1 (52%)

Dribble attempts

0.7 (60%)

0.6 (51%)

All stats via Sofascore

When comparing the midfielders' statistics in the Premier League last season, it really is interesting to see how similar the stars are, with pundit Jermaine Pennant even remarking that the Villan is "just like Rice" in regard to his creativity, flair and tackling ability.

Arsenal are an imperious unit but perfection is genuinely required to topple the indomitable force that is Manchester City, and if Arteta can navigate through the trials and tribulations of the transfer market to sign a forward and a midfielder such as Luiz, Arsenal might just find themselves in a good position next year.