Arteta’s £30m Arsenal man is now the biggest scapegoat since Xhaka

Arsenal have been riding the crest of a wave under Mikel Arteta’s tutelage, but this is the season that needs to see silverware returned to the Emirates Stadium.

Not since 2020, when Arteta took the loose reins after Unai Emery’s dismissal, have the Gunners lifted a trophy, and for all the incredible improvements that have been made since this new era began, the cabinet could do with a fresh adornment – perhaps the Premier League title?

Sporting director Andrea Berta has dovetailed into Arteta’s project this year and strengthened the Gunners with some talented additions. However, a few stragglers have emerged in north London, and they may need to be shipped on next year to continue the development of this elite outfit.

The Arsenal players Arteta needs to move on

Arsenal’s diligence is reflected by their contractual situations: no first-team player will find their deal is up at the end of the season. However, there are several who need to be shipped on regardless in 2026.

Gabriel Jesus, for example, impressed on his return from injury in midweek, coming off the bench against Club Brugge. Into the penultimate year of his contract, the 28-year-old has recently attracted interest from AC Milan.

Though Arsenal have undergone an incredible defensive transformation in recent years, the frontline still leaves something to be desired. Viktor Gyokeres, who arrived last summer for £64m, was picked as the solution, but he’s yet to bring it all together.

Arteta, for what it’s worth, remains steadfast in his belief that Gyokeres, a signing fuelled by Berta’s vision, will hit his prolific stride in the Premier League, but as the Gunners continue to go from strength to strength and challenge for the biggest prizes.

However, there’s another prominent face in the squad who may be enduring more vocal criticism for his performances, and it’s a situation that offers shades of former midfielder Granit Xhaka’s departure from the Emirates.

Arsenal's new Granit Xhaka

Xhaka has been a revelation in Sunderland’s midfield this season. When Arsenal sold the Swiss international to Bayer Leverkusen in 2023, few expected to see his face in the Premier League again, but he has been described as a “genius” buy for the Black Cats by Sky Sports’ Don Goodman.

The 33-year-old left Arsenal on a high, but his time in north London wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, having been stripped of the captaincy by Emery in 2019.

His perceived lack of discipline often led to him being scapegoated, and in a different scenario with a few similarities, the same could now be said of Martin Odegaard, who is Arteta’s proud £30m skipper but has come under fire for his performances.

Odegaard has been unlucky in recent years, missing chunks of the past few seasons, and some suggest he could be more positive on the ball, though statistics do rank favourably for the 26-year-old in that regard.

As per FBref, the Norwegian “wizard”, as dubbed by footballer Babayele Sodade, ranks among the top 5% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goal involvements, the top 3% for progressive passes, the top 2% for progressive carries, the top 2% for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for through balls per 90.

However, he’s not exempt from criticism. Former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere said “it will be tough to choose between” Odegaard and Eberechi Eze going forward, with the skipper not guaranteed a spot just because he wears the armband.

The former Crystal Palace talisman is growing into his skin since his summer move to the club, and should the £240k-per-week Odegaard begin to make trips to the bench, criticism is not going to disappear.

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