I think we’ve tried the Odegaard option. If we’re all being honest, he’s had one good game for us. Aouar may not even make it in the PL (hence why it’s arguable)
Maddison has been a key factor in Leicester’s success the last couple of seasons. He plays in a position we need to strengthen. The only stumbling block he’ll have at Arsenal is how he’ll be guided and nurtured. My fear is, instead of hitting the ground running, he’ll start head dropping like the rest of the team after a couple of bad results.
Well it is time then for the Kroenke’s to deliver according to their words of a “special” summer because Ornstein is sceptical of the club forking out 60-70m for an AM on the back of ESR’s contract renewal sorted out. From what I’m seeing, the Kroenke’s were probably carrying expectations of big money in from sales so that they could pretend they spent big despite the net spend being pretty average. The sales aren’t going so smoothly so that’s how this sort of transfer (Maddison) can be affected.
Logic checks out that the Kroeknes are actually so fucking stupid they think someone will pay us for out shitters instead of us just letting them go for free like we have been doing
So based on what Bell says.
Maddison is Plan A, Odegaard is the alternative(that’s news to me).
The update mentions that the club won’t overspend on Maddison as there other deals there are other areas we are trying to strengthen.
I actually think it does. No guarantees that either of them will ever settle in the EPL and honestly I thought Odegaard was kind of meh on loan outside that Spurs goal- ESR looked better during that period, is younger and genuinely wants to be here.
I also think that at least with Maddison we know that the attacking midfielder position is being filled by someone who can produce both goals and assists, something we definitely need from a midfielder and not something Odegaard or Aouar consistently do.
I think a lot of Arsenal fans are sleeping on Maddison’s game, his technique and strengths are desperately what we are after for balance- I’m very much an advocate for us putting a square peg in a square hole until we find our feet and best formation- then Mikel can try to be Pep with inverted Cam wingers in every position and Pepe at false nine.
Maddison is exactly the sort of player we need to shake up our attack.
He is proven at the top level in the PL and would walk into our first team and make a difference straight away because we are lacking quality in that position.
We already had Odegaard and several average CM’s last season and it didn’t do us much good.
So spending the same amount on Odegaard and a CM as we would on Maddison isn’t going to take us to the next level.
Maddison, or an equivalent player, is what we have lacked and the main reason why we can’t score and are mid table.
Just get it done.
