Arsenal: Martin Odegaard signing solves creative chasm

What Else Will Arsenal Do as the Summer Deadline Approaches?

While both Auba and Laca have been rumored to be available for the right price, I’m not personally sure that it’s reasonable to suspect both or even one of them will be sold this window as there just aren’t any buyers. The winter window is another matter, though.

Lucas Torreira should already be gone, and if not for his considerably diminished allure, he would be. The Uruguayan was very highly thought of by Unai Emery, who might wish to have him back with Villarreal, but has invariably fallen out of favor at the club; his loan spell with Atletico Madrid did not prove a remedy the situation at all, unfortunately.

And so something will have to be decided upon regarding him, one way or another. Other names that have been spoken about are Mohamad Elneny, of whom has registered interest from Bestikas in Turkey, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, as well as Willian. Were the club to sell almost all of these players, sans Torreira, they’d likely have enough money, with a little help from the Kroenke’s, for one more proper signing; who might that be?

I would imagine that perhaps one of the aforementioned players might be no longer on the list, given Odegaard’s arrival, although there is scope for a bargain Aouar deal to be struck, an the need for a right-back.

With what was seen against Brentford to open up the season, the club have work to do still. The Premier League is a long slog, and one that can’t be over in the first weeks of August no matter who you are. Arsenal need innovation in the midfield, and Odegaard is a real step in that direction. He will pair up nicely with the other talent, many of whom he is already friends with from last season, and will offer the Gunners something different than they have without him. His vision stands out.

There is still more to be done, however; more outgoing business must be accomplished so that incoming business can also be consummated. For Edu and Arteta, time is of the essence, yet building the team properly will ultimately yield them more time than some half-baked rush job. There is much to see this season after all, and we’ve seen just a fraction thus far. Stay tuned.