Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli has heaped praise on teammate Martin Odegaard amid suggestions he could be a future captain for the Gunners. It comes after the Norwegian international has begun to find some form, settling in since his permanent transfer last summer.
His leadership skills in particular have come to the fore, already captaining his nation at just 23-years-old. It is something that has come in for praise from both the Norway manager, Stale Solbakken, and Mikel Arteta.
In a recent interview with outlet VG, Solbakken discussed his talks with Arteta and his thoughts on Odegaard: “Arteta has a bit of the same view as I have of Martin: He is a player that you want in the last third, one who should deliver both goals and assists.” And when asked whether he should be the Gunners captain too, the manager said: “Yes! I think so. But it's not up to me, and I did not talk to Arteta about this."
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The captaincy situation at the Emirates is a delicate and tricky situation at the moment. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang started the season with the armband, but after a disciplinary issue, he left for Barcelona.
Alexandre Lacazette has often been the one to lead the side out in recent weeks, but with his contract expiring at the club in the summer, there isn’t a long-term choice available. It’s something that Arteta is yet to address, but he has previously praised Odegaard’s credentials to be the skipper.
“He [Martin Odegaard] is moving in the right way,” Arteta said last month. “He is the national team captain. He is one of the senior players here, for sure, even at his age, and it comes very natural to him.”
And now Martinelli is the latest in a long line of people to talk about the playmaker in a positive light, potentially hinting at his ability to be captain in the future. When asked about which teammate impresses him the most by FourFourTwo, he said: “Definitely, Martin [Odegaard] – he has so much quality and is such a team player. He’s always chatting to everyone.”
It’s the type of characteristic wanted from a leader, someone that is always talking to his squad and someone that can lead by example. Whether he is made captain remains to be seen, but the summer could be the opportunity to wear the armband as next Arsenal captain.
