With the majority of Arsenal’s first-team players on international duty, there may be concerns about Martin Odegaard, who pulled out of the Norway squad due to a knee injury sustained against the Hammers. Viktor Gyokeres has been less than impressive for Sweden, raising doubts about his ability to perform in the Premier League. We delve into all the stories emerging from the Emirates Stadium.
Update on Odegaard’s injury situation
Odegaard has been plagued with injuries since the beginning of the season. Having only managed 294 minutes of play so far, the Arsenal skipper became the first player in Premier League history to be substituted before half-time in three successive league starts.
The 26-year-old established this unwanted record after being taken off in the first-half of Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over West Ham. After dealing with two shoulder injuries earlier in the season, it was a knee problem that cut short Odegaard’s participation against the Hammers.
The injury, a problem with his medial collateral ligament (MCL), led to his withdrawal from the Norway squad. However, he still accompanied the team during the international break and was in the stands to witness his side’s 5-0 thrashing of Israel, maintaining their flawless World Cup qualifying record with six victories out of six.
Norway dominated the home match with two own goals and an Erling Haaland hat-trick, leading to exuberant celebrations in the dressing room. While there is no set timeline for Odegaard’s return to action, his lack of participation in the celebrations was not good news for supporters.
In the midst of the joyful chaos involving the squad and coaches, the Norway captain was noticeably absent, sitting on the sidelines. Despite his frequent absences this season, Arsenal’s bolstered midfield depth has allowed them to continue achieving positive results without their captain’s influence for much of the season.
Gyokeres secret deal
Arsenal’s pursuit of Gyokeres was one of the most protracted transfer sagas of the season, but it finally concluded when they officially signed him in late July. The Swede arrived at the Emirates Stadium boasting an impressive record of 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting CP.
His prolific goalscoring record saw him attract interest from Manchester United, where he would have been reunited with his former manager, Ruben Amorim. Despite reported approaches made by the Red Devils upon targeting Gyokeres, it was made clear his sole ambition was to join the north London outfit.
However, it was alleged by the Swede’s representatives that an agreement to bring him to Old Trafford was reached with Sporting – but without the striker’s knowledge.
United were said to have tabled a transfer fee exceeding the £64million Arsenal paid for his services. It’s reported that Sporting were urging Gyokeres to accept the switch to Old Trafford but he remained steadfast in his determination to sign for Arsenal.
Jonathan Chalkias, an assistant to Gyokeres’ agent Hasan Cetinkaya, spoke to Studio Allsvenskan podcast and said: “There were crazy amounts offered from Saudi Arabia. We’re supposed to act in our best interest. “Do we have also have a percentage (of any fee)? Of course. It’s a lot of money.
“Maybe Viktor should respond to that some day. I don’t think we pressured him once to accept the offer. At the end of the day, money comes and goes and this move to Arsenal brings us a lot of marketing. They (Sporting) had concluded a deal with Manchester United behind our backs, that was a problem. United offered a higher transfer fee.”
