Martin Odegaard's form this season has been a key part of Arsenal's surge to the top of the Premier League table. The Norwegian has made the number 10 spot his own within Mikel Arteta's squad and has warranted the £35 million spent on him in 2021.
Odegaard, 22, was signed permanently from Real Madrid following a short loan spell at the back end of the 2020/21 season. He has since adapted to the English game, made himself undroppable and been made club captain by Arteta to become one of the Gunners’ best players.
This season, the midfielder has flourished into one of the most in-form players to help steer the Gunners to their best start to a season in Premier League history. He has scored six goals - one shy of last season’s total - in 13 league games with another two assists this campaign.
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His stats perfectly demonstrate the fluidity of Arteta's 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 that has been a constant throughout the opening 20 games of the season, with his two goals against Wolves coming in identical fashions with his constant surging runs into the box.
The transfer business conducted by technical director Edu 18 months ago now looks like a huge mistake by Real Madrid. According to CIES Football Observatory, the Gunners skipper is now valued at £80 million and it's very unlikely the club would allow their number 10 to leave for that prize.
With everything ticking together for Arsenal, Odegaard will be part of the small group of players who are not participating in the Qatar World Cup and has the perfect opportunity to recharge his batteries ahead of the return of Premier League football on Boxing Day.
His start to the season has warranted plenty of praise throughout the last few weeks and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has relaid the importance of the former Los Blancos man.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: "Odegaard's had a great season, a lot of people talk about different players, if Saliba gets injured what might happen to the team but I think you have to put him in that bracket as well, he's such an influential player for the team the way he controls the game."
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