Should Arsenal try to make Martin Odegaard's move permanent in the summer?

Does Martin Odegaard deserve a permanent Arsenal deal in the summer after his performances in the Premier League and Europe?

By Adam Le Roux

Sometimes you see a player who you know is destined to change a team, within seconds of their introduction there is an impact on his new teammates, and Martin Odegaard is that man.

The Norwegian has almost single-handedly given Arsenal an added impetus going forward since his move to the Emirates in the winter transfer window, with his vision and creativity in the final third already proving dividends.

He may have only featured in five matches for Mikel Arteta’s side to date, but there is already more than enough evidence to prove that the former Vitesse Arnhem man has all the attributes to become a regular in the Arsenal starting lineup for years to come.

Therefore, making him top of the shopping list in the summer should be key for Arteta and the Arsenal backroom staff, with the midfielder someone who the boss should bel looking to build a team around.

Martin makes all the difference

You only have to look over at Old Trafford to see how much one signing can catalyse a team into becoming contenders at the right end of the Premier League table, with Bruno Fernandes turning the Red Devils into genuine top four contenders almost overnight.

And it may be early days, but you can see exactly the same thing happening with Odegaard among the Arsenal ranks, with the Norwegian pumping bagfuls of energy into his teammates whenever he is on the pitch.

There are times when you can just see that someone is a footballer, not just a run of the mill player, but a real proper footballer, who sees the game like no other, and Odegaard is exactly that.

The young talent seems to have about 23 pairs of eyes, and is always aware to what is going on around him, meaning he can pick a pass before he’s even set foot on the ball, which gets attacks going at a quick-fire rate.

You only have to look at the equalising goal against Benfica last Thursday to highlight Odegaard’s quality in possession; as his perfectly-weighted through ball gave Hector Bellerin the time and space to pick out Bukayo Saka in the middle, with the entire home defence taken out the game with a flick of the Norwegian’s boot.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Emile Smith Rowe... they will all benefit from him being in the side week in, week out, with his ingenuity creating chances for teammates, and boosting confidence around the squad as a result.

It’s not just with the ball that he excels either, and it is that dogged determination to win the ball back when out of possession that will no doubt have impressed his boss, who doesn’t take any passengers in his side.

It has often been something accused of Odegaard in the past that he lacks the desire to perform on the highest stage, and has been slammed for his poor attitude, but that is the polar opposite to what we have seen so far.

His work rate is often one of the highest on the pitch, whether he is trying to unlock the opposing defence with the ball at his feet, or trying to regain possession, and it is exactly that ethic that Arteta demands of his side.

Arteta in awe of Odegaard

It is no surprise then, that the Arsenal boss is very keen for the Norwegian to make the switch to the Emirates a permanent thing after the summer.

The Spaniard has been singing the praises of his most recent signing after his promising performances in his fledgling career as a Gunner, and has been impressed by how quickly he has adapted to the English game.

“We have Martin for a few months from Real Madrid and first of all we have to maximise this time with him to try to bring to the team all the qualities he has,” the Arsenal boss said.

“At the end of the season we will sit together and decide where we can take that relationship forward. At the moment it doesn’t just depend on us.

“On the pitch he is showing a lot of character and a lot of intelligence. They are characteristics that a leader should have.

“He has been here a very short time but he has adapted very quickly. He is getting more and more respect from the players and the staff and his weight on the team will increase with every week.”

As the boss states it is a two-way affair in a player signing a deal, so everyone at the club has to be doing their utmost to lure Odegaard away from the glamours of the Santiago Bernabeu, and get him to want to pull the red shirt on for the foreseeable future.

One way that can happen is if the team start doing their talking on the pitch, and after a slender defeat to Manchester City, progression in Europe this week and a promising performance against Leicester could go some way to convincing him to make north London his home in the future.

Photo Credit: Getty Images