Charles Watts has shared that Martin Odegaard is expected to be Arsenal’s ‘long term’ captain, as he told his own YouTube channel.
The football London journalist added that if it’s not Odegaard being handed the armband, then the role will go to Kieran Tierney.
The 2021/22 Premier League season started with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being the man tasked with deploying such a key role at the club.
But, by January, the Gabon star was out of the exit door and replaced by Alexandre Lacazette in the hotseat, however, he has since left for Lyon after his contract expired.
For the first time since Arteta was in the Arsenal dugout, he is now going to call who will be the club’s next skipper after Aubameyang was appointed under Unai Emery, as Watts shared why it’s likely to be Odegaard.
“You kind of look at Tierney and Odegaard as the two leading contenders,” said Watts. “You would think Odegaard is certainly ahead, certainly in Mikel Arteta’s thinking and just what we have seen from Arteta.
“We know how close those two are. You can see out on the pitch how Odegaard is Mikel’s eyes and ears.
“It’s pretty clear that whenever the ball goes out of the play, the player that Arteta always calls to speak to is Odegaard. He is his guy out on the pitch.
“You just feel in the long term that Odegaard will probably be Arsenal captain. But we have to wait for official confirmation, if it’s somebody else then it’s Tierney.”
ODEGAARD AND TIERNEY TOP CAPTAIN PICKS
Whoever Arteta decides to hand the keys to will prove to be a very good appointment and a popular one amongst the fans.
Odegaard has the experience of having taken such a role for Norway, so being handed such a responsibility won’t be alien to the player.
Plus, as they proved last season, injuries aside, the two are regular starters for Arteta and that should be the case again next season.
Either way, the Gunners are entering a new dawn with their captain and they are hoping the curse of that player being stripped of that role is now over.
It’s happened to Granit Xhaka when Emery was in charge, then Aubameyang last season and the fans will be hoping that is now the end of it.
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