Why signing an alternative to Odegaard is more important than signing a striker | OneFootball

Every Arsenal fan dreams of the club signing a new striker to ensure that fewer chances go begging.

Last season, the Gunners scored the second-most goals in the Premier League and came tantalisingly close to winning the title. However, it all came down to the final day of the campaign, and Manchester City emerged victorious once again. That said, it would be unfair to argue that Arsenal’s downfall was due to a lack of goals.

Throughout that campaign, there were matches Arsenal should have won but ultimately lost, and those results proved costly in the title race. Despite this, scoring wasn’t Arsenal’s primary issue. Still, the club has faced criticism for not signing a striker during the summer transfer window.

Fans now look to the summer of 2025 as another opportunity for Arsenal to bring in a proven goalscorer. However, focusing on a new striker might be addressing the wrong problem.

While Arsenal may lack a world-class striker, the team’s high goal tally is largely due to Martin Odegaard’s exceptional creativity. His influence last season played a key role in how many goals Arsenal scored per match—a trend that continues in the current campaign and helping the club’s fan base to grow globally.

Many of those new fans will be eager to watch Arsenal and their captain Martin Odegaard. According to ExpressVPN, the growing trend of online sports consumption is evident in 2024, as more viewers turn to digital platforms for their favourite events, with the biggest football matches being right at the top of their ‘most streamed’ lists.

Odegaard needs a deputy

When Martin Odegaard was sidelined for two months due to injury, Arsenal’s goals dried up, and the team struggled for creativity.

During that period, there was little discussion about Arsenal needing a striker because the real problem was evident to everyone. Odegaard’s return to the side restored the team’s prolific nature, underscoring the importance of his creative influence.

To truly succeed, Arsenal must prioritise signing another creative midfielder who can step up when Odegaard is unavailable. No striker will thrive without proper service, and signing a new frontman without addressing the lack of an Odegaard alternative would fail to solve Arsenal’s underlying issue.

While the Norwegian isn’t injury-prone, injuries are an unavoidable part of football. If Arsenal doesn’t recruit someone capable of filling his creative role when needed, the team risks becoming overly reliant on him. This is a concerning reality, especially for a top club like Arsenal, and it’s a problem they must address soon.

Ethan Nwaneri is widely regarded as a potential heir to Odegaard, but the question remains: when will the teenager be ready to take on a bigger role? He has impressed in his Carabao Cup starts and in the limited minutes he’s received in the Premier League and Champions League, but is he truly ready to start consistently in those high-stakes competitions?

Arsenal must find a solution to maintain their creative spark even in Odegaard’s absence. Only then can the conversation about signing a new striker become meaningful.