When Arsenal technical director Edu was alerted to Martin Odegaard’s availability towards the end of the transfer window, the Brazilian didn’t think twice before picking up the phone to make the deal happen.
Odegaard had spent the last five months of the season on loan from Real Madrid, where he did well but certainly didn’t play a starring role as the Gunners finished eighth in the Premier League.
The signs of Odegaard’s technical quality were always present, however. His silky movement on and off the ball, ability to play between the lines and put his teammates into play, coupled with his good character, made him an ideal candidate to become Arsenal’s permanent creative link.
There were initial doubts over whether Arsenal could get the deal done which meant that Arsenal drew up other targets, including Leicester City midfielder James Maddison who was at the top of Arteta’s wishlist last summer.
But they sealed the deal in the end, with the help of an old friend in Kia Joorabchian who represented Real Madrid as an intermediary.
There are similarities between Odegaard and Arsenal legends of the past. Dennis Bergkamp’s grace and poise in attack has rarely been seen in a Gunners player since the early days of Mesut Ozil, but there can be no doubting that he possesses the kind of elite composure that makes him a nightmare to play against.
"Arteta has a bit of the same view as I have of Martin: He is a player that you want in the last third, one who should deliver both goals and assists,” Norway manager Stale Solbakken told Norwegian outlet VG.
"But we also share the view that he is so much more than that. That he uses his running capacity and smartness in the defensive game, that he has become a leader, that he has great tactical understanding.
"This is where we need to go from. That is the problem in Norway: With the expectations he has there, he has to tear up the list. I look at him as much as a "second-assist player" as an assist player, says the national team manager.”
Indeed, Odegaard created five chances in the first half against Leicester, the joint most he has made in a Premier League game for Arsenal, and while his goal/assist numbers may not be as high as many would like, it’s what you don’t see that makes him such a delight of a player for his teammates to play with.
As for Arsenal, the Gunners have won their last five Premier League matches in a row and their hopes of securing a top four spot have never looked more likely.
They will need to continue on the same path and ensure that key players avoid injuries, but Arsenal right now - with Odegaard at the helm - look a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League.
