Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has hailed one Arsenal player, but feels he needs to be provided with one thing by Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal have scored 89 goals in 37 Premier League matches this season. Only Manchester City, who have racked up 91, boast a better tally.
The Gunners have achieved this enormous haul despite not having an especially prolific striker in their ranks. Kai Havertz has impressed as a target man for the Gunners, and has chipped in with some important goals, but Arsenal don’t have a player who can spearhead their attack and practically guarantee a return of around 25 goals in a season.
This is something that Mikel Arteta may well seek to address in the upcoming summer transfer window. Arsenal have been linked with a host of strikers. There is certainly an argument that an elite-level goalscorer is now what’s needed to take this side to the next level.
One player who would particularly benefit from a real penalty box predator being brought to the Emirates Stadium is Martin Odegaard.
Across a number of metrics, Odegaard has been the most creative player in Europe this season. Yet for all of his craft and guile, the Norwegian midfielder has only eight Premier League assists this season to show for his exemplary playmaking efforts.
Gary Neville hails Martin Odegaard for tying Arsenal team together
Gary Neville has now heaped praise on the Arsenal captain, and identified one area in which he needs extra support.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Neville named Odegaard as his player of the season, and stated: “He [Odegaard] is a beautiful player. He knits everything together. I love Rice, I love Foden, but for me that is an absolute unbelievable football player.
“He’s the best player in the league I’ve seen this season on a regular basis…If he had, for instance, a striker who made those little darting runs like an Aguero, the amount of chances he creates is unbelievable. I think that’s his peak this season.”
Will Mikel Arteta provide what Martin Odegaard needs?
Despite Neville’s statement, given Odegaard is still only 25-years-old, he may well not have peaked. Arteta may suspect that there is still more to come from the former Real Madrid man.
In any case, if Odegaard can just maintain his current level then he will continue to be one of the standout stars in the top flight of English football.
Arteta has now been urged to bring in a striker who can truly capitalise upon Odegaard’s creativity. It will be fascinating to see if Arteta’s seeks out such a player this summer.
