Arsenal’s top-5 most popular player names on new fan shirts | OneFootball

Martin Odegaard is the most popular name on the new Arsenal shirt among supporters, according to a report.

REDaction Gooners report that the AFC Commercial team inform them that Martin Odegaard tops the popularity rankings for name and number printing in the opening week of 2022/23 shirt sales.

Arsenal recently released their new home kit, and they’ve been tracking the most popular names among supporters.

Odegaard tops the list, with Bukayo Saka in second, Gabriel Martinelli (and his new number 11) in third, Emile Smith Rowe in fourth, and Takehiro Tomiyasu in fifth.

It’s certainly no surprise to see the young Arsenal contingent performing so well with the fans. The youngsters really had to carry the team this season, often with little support from players much older and more experienced than them.

Combine that with the fact that Arsenal fans hope the above five players will be around for many years to come, and they seem like safe choices for the new shirt.

Perhaps it is a little unexpected to see Odegaard right at the top of the rankings, considering the popularity of Martinelli, Smith Rowe, and Saka in particular – all of whom have been around the club for longer.

But Odegaard took on the captaincy position towards the end of the season, and perhaps his status as a fan-favourite received a boost as a result.

After a strong first full campaign with Arsenal, the Norwegian international will hope to push on and achieve even more in his second season.

A benefit of Odegaard’s situation for Arsenal next season is that he won’t be going away to the winter World Cup. Though that’s a shame for him, it does mean his full focus can remain on the Gunners, and he’s less likely to suffer the fatigue that some others could face.