Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been told that club captain Martin Odegaard is on track to becoming as good as Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne.
The Gunners skipper has enjoyed a sensational season so far, already matching last season's goal tally and popping up with some remarkable assists such as his exquisite pass for Gabriel Martinelli's goal against Brighton on New Year's Eve. It was the kind of thing fans have seen De Bruyne do so often for City down the years.
Some were initially sceptical of Arsenal signing the Norwegian on a permanent basis from Real Madrid for just £31million after an impressive, but hardly world-beating loan spell in the latter half of the 2020/21 campaign.
However, having been handed the responsibility of the club captaincy, Odegaard has gone from strength to strength this term.
The Gunners currently sit top of the Premier League nearly halfway through the season - something few Arsenal fans could have predicted saying before a ball had been kicked, but Odegaard has been integral to his side's efforts so far.
Arsenal's nearest challengers are of course reigning champions City, who currently sit five points behind Arteta's men. Spearheaded by De Bruyne and the Premier League's most lethal marksman in Erling Haaland, many fans and pundits alike still fancy Pep Guardiola's side for the title.
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This is largely because of the supreme technical quality City boast, including De Bruyne. With that in mind, ex-Gunners ace Ray Parlour was asked whether he felt Odegaard could one day ever match the Belgian in terms of talent.
The Arsenal legend told Lord Ping: "His technical ability is very, very good and he's been excellent. Things didn't quite work out for him at Real Madrid but he feels at home now with Arsenal, he's enjoying it every week but De Bruyne is on a different level.
"Odegaard has a lot of work to do [to reach the level of De Bruyne] but he's still a young lad, he has a great attitude and I've met him loads of times - he's a great lad. He's got a lot of work to do to be as good as De Bruyne, but he's certainly going the right way about it."
Parlour event went on to imagine how things could have unfolded had he and Odegaard ever lined up in the famous red and white shirt alongside each other.
"I really like Odegaard. He's got a lot in his locker. It would've been perfect for me to win the ball back, playing it to Odegaard and then let him look at options going forward," he added. "I like his energy, he's always trying his best and he's a great lad."
