Martin Odegaard is no longer the guaranteed main man at Arsenal anymore and former Liverpool man Steve Nicol has suggested the Gunners skipper will be leaving.
Odegaard has had a few injuries this season but returned in the North London derby to come off the bench and help Arsenal win.
However, after an obvious dip in form this season, Arsenal’s captain faces increasing scrutiny over his position in the starting XI and Steve Nicol has claimed he will look to leave.
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Why Steve Nicol thinks Martin Odegaard will leave Arsenal
It seems remarkable to even suggest that the current Arsenal captain will leave.
Odegaard has been and remains a key player under Mikel Arteta and if he lifts the Premier League title in May, it’s very much mission complete.
However, according to pundit Nicol, Odegaard will have one eye on the exit door.
“I think Martin Odegaard might be leaving Arsenal,” Nicol remarked for ESPN FC.
Backing up his statement after surprising the rest of the panel, Nicol then explained his rationale.
“Well, if you’re Odegaard, and you’re the captain and 18 months ago you were the guy and all of a sudden there’s question marks over if he starts in the XI because of Eze, or maybe because of the way he’s been playing someone else might get in ahead of him as well.
“So, if you’re Odegaard, do you stick around? I don’t think you do.”
Martin Odegaard’s stats in 25/26 compared to 24/25
Martin Odegaard remains an excellent footballer and there is no doubting his contribution to the Arsenal cause in recent seasons.
However, there is also no doubt he has dropped off a bit this season in terms of influence.
Last season, while never prolific, Odegaard seemed to be at the centre of everything good for Arsenal.
Now, in the 25/26 campaign, his contribution is lower.
| 24/25 season | 25/25 season | |
| Appearances | 30 | 19 |
| Goals | 3 | 1 |
| Assists | 8 | 4 |
| Chances created | 63 | 28 |
Clearly, while not massively worrying, there is a difference in the two seasons. The chances created is the worrying one for Mikel Arteta, with Odegaard having created 35 less chances in just 11 games less.
Still, there is time for the Norwegian to influence things a lot between now and May and while Nicol is so sure of himself here, it would still be a big surprise to see Odegaard suddenly depart.
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