Paul Scholes says Arsenal should have signed £71m star to help Martin Odegaard

Paul Scholes has suggested Arsenal should person made a large signing successful January to instrumentality Martin Odegaard to different level.

Odegaard has been 1 of Arsenal’s champion and astir accordant players implicit the past 4 years but the 2024-25 run has proven to beryllium a frustrating 1 for the Norwegian midfielder.

An injury sustained portion connected planetary work ruled Odegaard retired for implicit 2 months and helium has struggled to consistently amusement his champion signifier since that setback, scoring conscionable 1 extremity crossed 21 games.

The 26-year-old has, however, looked crisp successful caller weeks, scoring successful Arsenal’s Champions League triumph implicit Dinamo Zagreb and successful Sunday’s stunning 5-1 triumph implicit Manchester City successful the Premier League.

Manchester United fable Scholes, considered 1 of the champion midfielders England has ever produced, believes Odegaard is ‘brilliant’ but says helium would payment from playing with a ‘a due centre forward’.

Kai Havertz continues to stroke blistery and acold for the Gunners and Arsenal considered signing a caller striker during the January transportation window, adjacent failing with a determination for Aston Villa and England prima Ollie Watkins.

Arteta besides expressed involvement successful signing Alexander Isak, Benjamin Sesko and Dusan Vlahovic, though Arsenal yet kept their pulverization adust until the summer.

But Scholes says Arsenal would payment from the summation of a proven goalscorer and says Gunners skipper Odegaard successful peculiar would person enjoyed playing with idiosyncratic similar Jhon Duran.

Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham were each linked with January moves for Duran earlier Al-Nassr came successful with a immense £71m woody for the 21-year-old.

Scholes says long-term Arsenal people Isak is different subordinate that would get much retired of Odegaard, who lone has 2 assists truthful acold this season, having recorded 10 successful the league past year.

‘Imagine him with a centre forward, though. With a due centre forward,’ Scholes said connected The Overlap erstwhile discussing Odegaard’s signifier astatine Arsenal.

‘Martin Odegaard is simply a superb player, helium tin enactment a shot anyplace helium wants. He hasn’t got that successful beforehand of him, a No. 10 needs that successful beforehand of him. 

‘I don’t deliberation Kai Havertz is that benignant of player, adjacent though helium mightiness marque the unusual tally present and there. 

‘You’re reasoning Isak oregon Duran, the lad from Villa, if helium had that successful beforehand of him, it makes him go a amended subordinate arsenic good due to the fact that he’s determination progressive with goals.’ 

Havertz scored a much-needed extremity successful the victory implicit Man City but besides missed a large accidental to perchance punctual Arsenal wherefore they request a caller striker this summer.

Of people the nine could reason they inactive person second-best onslaught successful the Premier League successful presumption of goals scored and person built an Arsenal squad involved successful its 3rd successive rubric challenge.

Whether Arsenal are capable to yet get their hands connected the Premier League trophy remains to beryllium seen, however, and Theo Walcott cannot spot leaders Liverpool dropping off.

‘Arsenal had to triumph [against Manchester City on Sunday] and enactment successful a connection performance,’ the erstwhile Gunners winger said connected BBC’s Match of the Day 2.

‘Liverpool are, astatine this moment, playing astatine immoderate level. It’s going to beryllium person than you deliberation but Liverpool, astatine this moment, I conscionable don’t spot them slipping up.’

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