Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has suggested that playmaker Martin Odegaard is actually getting better and better having turned his move permanent last year.
With Mesut Ozil’s Arsenal career coming to an end under Arteta, the Gunners really needed to go and find another playmaker in January 2021.
In came Odegaard on loan from Real Madrid having struggled for first-team action under Zinedine Zidane.
The Norwegian had long been touted as a wonderkid and showed his quality on loan at Real Sociedad, but just wasn’t making it at Real.
After shining on loan at Arsenal, Odegaard – after a protracted transfer saga – turned his move permanent for an initial £30million.
The numbers may not look amazing; four goals and three assists in 21 Premier League games is solid if unspectacular.
Yet that doesn’t fully encapsulate Odegaard’s beautiful approach play, his inventive work around the box, his ability to find spaces and keep Arsenal ticking over.
The Norwegian is a gifted footballer and exactly the kind of player Arsenal fans love; almost a throwback to the Arsene Wenger era.
Odegaard maybe needs to trust his finishing ability more at times, especially having gone on a three-game scoring run in December.
Hopefully that comes with time for the 23-year-old, and boss Arteta has now moved to hail his chief number 10.
Speaking to the London Evening Standard, Arteta suggested that Odegaard is getting ‘better and better’ – and the Spaniard isn’t surprised at all.
Arteta added that he thinks Odegaard will become a ‘top top’ player, predicting big things from the playmaker as he continues to grow at Arsenal.
“Well we had a period with him where we could evaluate what Martin could bring to the club,” said Arteta. “We had no doubts. The club was brilliant to secure him in a really convincing way. Martin was really happy to join us because he had a really good time, he felt valued, he enjoyed what we are doing, he got a really good connection with the players and the supporters.”
“He wanted to be part of the project. Since then he is getting better and better, and I am not surprised. The way he lives his profession, the way he likes to play football and everything he does is to become better. He has still a big margin. He wants it probably more than anyone else on that pitch, every single day. He will be top top,” he added.
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