Every Arsenal fan is certain that Kieran Tierney will be the new club captain after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang moves on, but Martin Odegaard could potentially change Mikel Arteta’s mind in the coming months.
Almost every pundit in England has claimed at one point or another that the Gunners lack a proper leader. Aubameyang, for no fault of his own, has been criticised, but there’s no way he will be replaced as the skipper until he’s here.
Once he does leave, the captain’s armband will be up for grabs and many believe Tierney is perfect for that role. The Scotsman’s attitude, commitment and dedication make him a great shout, but could Odegaard be in contention as well?
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Could Martin Odegaard become the next Arsenal captain?
In one of his press conferences last season, Arteta raved about Odegaard’s leadership skills. He claimed that the ‘really influential’ 22-year-old Norwegian has been a leader at Arsenal since his very first week here. (Mirror)
Odegaard is also Norway’s captain. His leadership skills there have been making all the right noises recently, with his team talk before the start of this international break making a huge difference for his country.
After suffering a shock 2-0 defeat to Greece in June, something had to change for Norway. Being the captain, Odegaard decided to have a meeting with the players without the presence of the coaches, and that seems to have worked wonders.
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Odegaard told TV2 this week: “We spoke completely freely and openly. Everyone got to air what they had on their minds. We have played many big matches in recent years, but have not managed to solve it optimally all the time.
“We thought it was good to have a chat about how we avoid going on such blisters. It was not something revolutionary, we really just had a chat. It was really about what has happened over several years. At least since I joined the national team, we have not been quite where we should be during big matches. I feel the response after the chat was very good.”
Since Odegaard’s meeting with his compatriots, Norway have looked a completely different side. They picked up an impressive draw against the mighty Dutch before securing a comfortable win over Latvia a few days ago.
That is exactly the type of leadership Arsenal need right now. After three defeats in three league games, something has to change, and a quick team meeting at the Emirates could well make a big difference in the coming weeks.
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Arteta is already impressed with Odegaard’s leadership and this will only make his opinion stronger. Tierney still is the number one choice to take over the captain’s armband at Arsenal after Auba leaves, but don’t be surprised if the Gunners boss hands it to the Norwegian instead.
