Mesut Ozil may leave a wholly subjective legacy in terms of his impact at Arsenal, something that will eternally be debated among fans, but the immediate contentious question following his exit is, who should take his No10 shirt?
It’s the most coveted number at the club, and across world football, with Alexandre Lacazette joking in the aftermath of Ozil leaving that he is one of several players with their eyes on the prize beyond this season.
Internally, the natural heir to Ozil’s number, as has been the case in recent weeks, is 20-year-old Emile Smith Rowe; the academy playmaker blossoming into more than just a prospect for the Gunners.
Reports have indicated that Smith Rowe would, unsurprisingly, like the No10 as opposed to the No32 currently on his back, a result of his relatively lowly squad position when numbers were formulated before the start of the season.
With Martin Odegaard expected to complete a six-month loan move from Real Madrid, common wisdom dictates the Norwegian forward will, at least for the next six months, seamlessly step into Ozil’s place in the squad – both as creator and No10.
Arsenal’s squad numbers were set for the season having been registered prior to the start of the 2020/21 campaign and with Mat Ryan taking Matt Macey’s former No33, that leaves No4, 5, 11, 26 and 27 as Odegaard's other realistic options.
But it’s not guaranteed that Odegaard will be given the No10 as, given the desire from within the squad to wear those particular digits, as football.london understands Premier League rules do allow for changes during a season.
An application must be made to the Premier League which will then require Board approval to switch.
There is no precedent for such a decision but would likely require Arsenal to pay compensation or offer a free change to any fans who have purchased Smith Rowe shirts bearing his current No32.
Should Smith Rowe really be intent on the No10 for the remainder of 2020/21, providing Odegaard, his teammates, the club and the Premier League permit it, it can happen.
That being said, there’s also the obvious caveat that having that shirt as an option could be a mechanism of tempting Odegaard to Emirates Stadium for the rest of the season.
