‘That worries me’: Ferdinand expresses concern over Arsenal signing Odegaard

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Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand has expressed his concerns over Martin Odegaard joining Arsenal.

The Gunners have been looking for a new number 10 since the window opened on New Year’s Day. Mesut Ozil is out of the door now and Emile Smith Rowe is our only natural number 10.

It would be silly to rely solely on the 20-year-old and Mikel Arteta knows that. Odegaard has been brought in to solve that problem, but Ferdinand is worried that the Real Madrid man could push Smith Rowe away from the squad.

He said on FIVE: “I’ve heard about this kid [Odegaard] for a long time now. He had a good loan spell in Spain at Sociedad and did really well. He’s got potential, 100%. It’s about Mikel Arteta unlocking that.”

“That’s the only thing that worries me. If he comes in and takes someone like Emile Smith Rowe’s position, I’ll be devastated. He’s come in and done unreal things. The way he’s played, he’s been a breath of fresh air at Arsenal. I’m sure the fans if they were there would be going crazy about him.”

“He brings assists, he brings a calmness to the way Arsenal play. He’s the type of player who could have played over a number of generations at Arsenal in the way he plays football. So I hope he (Odegaard) doesn’t come in and kind of stunt his growth in the team because he’s been really good the last few weeks.”

Arsenal Insider’s view

Both Odegaard and Smith Rowe will have to fight for the same position at Arsenal. The Real Madrid man is more experienced at the top level, but the Englishman has impressed everyone in the toughest league in the world over the past few weeks.

Smith Rowe will definitely be worried about losing his spot to Odegaard. However, that will only push him to work harder and play better which is the best thing for Arsenal Football Club.

Odegaard will not be ready immediately. He has played for just five minutes since the 2nd of December. He will likely be eased into action, which should give Smith Rowe a few more games to stake his claim.