Casting our minds back to last summer's transfer window, I don't think I'd be alone when admitting I favoured a move for James Maddison over Martin Odegaard.
The Leicester City man had become a standout in the Premier League who was scoring goals and providing assists on a consistent basis.
Odegaard meanwhile was out of favour at Real Madrid and didn't exactly set the world alight during his loan spell with Arsenal last season. However, Mikel Arteta saw enough to be convinced that he was the best fit for his squad rebuild.
After completing a permanent transfer to the Gunners worth £30m, the initial signs were not entirely convincing but neither were the team's overall performances.
Just one goal and zero assists across eleven games led to supporters criticising both the player and the club's decision to sign him.
Despite this, Odegaard has gone on to become one of, if not the most important member of this Arsenal team. Five goals and four assists may not signify a huge increase but it's still an improvement nonetheless.
His game goes way beyond the numbers though. The work rate, leadership, vision and quality with the ball at his feet leaves you on the edge of your seat. He just simply oozes class.
Odegaard put on another memorable display against Leicester today, again playing a key role in the majority of moves going forward. So much goes through him and the fact that he was the one player to continuously be called over by Arteta during a break in play tells you just how important he is to the current setup.
The fact that Arteta is using Odegaard to control his tactical ideas on the pitch suggests he has a huge amount of trust in the Norway star, but also that he respects the intelligence of the midfielder. It can be reminiscent of Pep Guardiola's relationships with Xavi and later Philipp Lahm, his two lieutenants during his wildly successful spells at Barcelona and Bayern.
This happens all the time. Whenever there’s a break in play, Odegaard is the one who goes over to the touchline to talk to Arteta pic.twitter.com/7HV7OOWMAb
— Sam Dean (@SamJDean)
Maddison on the other hand was nowhere to be seen during the 90 minutes, just as he wasn't in the reverse fixture which Arsenal also won 2-0. His direct goal contributions may be higher than that of Odegaard's this season, but you have to question what he offers Brendan Rodgers apart from that.
It takes a special player to pop up and create something in moments of need, but Odegaard has proven that he is one of them. Comparisons to Mesut Ozil have been made but if he continues on the path he is on at the moment, the Norweigan can go on to eclipse Arsenal's former number ten.
The conversation about Maddison ends here. This is Martin Odegaard's world and we're all living inside it.
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