‘Arsenal have just’: Merson suggests Edu has sold star better than Odegaard

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Paul Merson has questioned Arsenal’s decision to offload Joe Willock, relative to Martin Odegaard’s arrival in North London.

Willock had a brilliant half-season loan at Newcastle last term, scoring seven Premier League goals.

As a result, some Arsenal fans were annoyed to see Edu sell the midfielder to Newcastle on a permanent basis earlier this month, for £25 million.

The 22-year-old came through the ranks at London Colney and a lot of supporters wanted to see him given chances in the senior side under Mikel Arteta this season.

As his replacement, Arsenal sealed a permanent deal to sign Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid, with the Norwegian also spending the second half of the 2020-21 campaign on loan at the Emirates.

But Odegaard managed only two goals in 20 appearances for the Gunners across all competitions.

And Merson, writing on his column on Sky Sports, has suggested that using Willock might’ve been the better option than bringing the former Real playmaker back.

He said: “Arsenal have just let Joe Willock go for £25m. What for? Surely, he had a future at the club, surely the coaches at Arsenal could improve him. Why have Willock on the books in the first place if you don’t rate him?

“They got £25m for a kid who knows the club, loves the club, and then spent it all on Odegaard who scored two goals last year. What would have happened if Willock got a run in the team? He might have gone and done what he did at Newcastle and get seven goals in seven, who knows.”

Spotlight

There’s already a major spotlight shining on Arsenal’s transfer business this summer.

It remains to be seen if spending £80 million on Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale was a good decision or not.

But if Willock continues to impress up at Newcastle then it’ll add much greater scrutiny to Edu’s decisions at the Emirates Stadium.

And let’s face it, he probably will dazzle in the North East once again.

Edu just has to hope that Odegaard also does the business for Arsenal to reduce the regret if and when Willock does continue his free-scoring form.