Arsenal are expected to make some ruthless decisions this summer.
Andrea Berta has spent months exploring potential sales, and the Gunners know they need to raise money if they want to keep strengthening Mikel Arteta’s squad.
The attack is clearly the biggest area that needs work, especially after Arsenal fell short in the Champions League final against PSG.
That could lead to a few shock exits, and Paul Merson thinks one of them may even involve club captain Martin Odegaard.
Discuss Martin Odegaard’s performance in the Champions League final vs PSG
Time to sell?
Paul Merson thinks Martin Odegaard could be sold by Arsenal
Odegaard has been one of Arsenal’s most important players in the Arteta era.
The Norwegian arrived when the Gunners badly needed creativity, leadership and a player who could bring some control to the final third.
For a long time, he gave Arsenal exactly that.
Odegaard, who has been hailed as ‘phenomenal’ by Arteta, became captain, helped change the culture and played a huge role in taking Arsenal from a struggling side to Premier League champions.
That is why the idea of selling him still feels so strange. However, Arsenal are now operating at a completely different level.
Sentiment cannot be allowed to drive major decisions anymore, especially when the club are trying to build a team capable of dominating England and Europe.
Merson believes Arsenal may now be thinking along those lines.
Speaking about the possibility of Odegaard being sold, he said on the Sports Agents podcast: “It’s madness for me to be saying this, but they probably will be thinking about that [selling Odegaard].
“But for me, I still think there’ll be teams queuing round the block for him.
“When you play in the position that Odegaard plays in, you’re screaming out for pace up front. You have to have pace.”
If Arsenal were to sell Martin Odegaard how much money would you want for him?
Selling Martin Odegaard would be ruthless but a necessary decision
Odegaard deserves huge respect for everything he has done at Arsenal.
He is the captain, a leader behind the scenes and one of the biggest reasons why Arteta’s side finally won the Premier League title.
However, he will enter the final two years of his contract in July, and his performances over the last two seasons have not been good enough for a player of his status. That is the uncomfortable truth.
If Arsenal wait too long, his value could drop, and the club may find themselves in another difficult contract situation.
This summer may be the perfect time for both parties to go their separate ways, however painful that decision would be.
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