Odegaard to Arsenal? What the Norwegian could bring to the Emirates
Martin Odegaard's return to Real Madrid hasn't gone quite according to plan. Los Blancos cut short his two-year loan spell with Real Sociedad and the idea was that head coach Zinedine Zidane would integrate the youngster into the first team. However, Odegaard has made just three league starts upon his return to the Spanish capital, his most recent of which came in the 1-1 draw with Villarreal back in November.
The general consensus is that Real Madrid recalled the Norway international too soon and, had they allowed Odegaard to remain with La Real, he would have had the perfect opportunity to continue to grow as a player. And when it became apparent that Real Madrid would allow Odegaard to leave on loan this month, Real Sociedad jumped at the chance to bring him back to the Anoeta.
Yet the Basque giants look to have since missed out on the 22-year-old, with Premier League side Arsenal leapfrogging their Spanish counterparts to the front of the queue. The Gunners' pursuit of a creative star in the January window is well documented, with Houssem Aouar, Julian Brandt and Emiliano Buendia all linked with a move to the Emirates.
The emergence of Emile Smith Rowe has eased Arsenal's need for another attacking midfielder in the transfer window, but competition for spots is never a bad thing. It is one of the reasons why Odegaard has since become a primary target for Mikel Arteta's side. The Norwegian's versatility is an added bonus for the Arsenal boss, with the midfielder able to play in the number 10 role, on the right flank or in a deeper midfield position.
While his best position is perhaps seen as behind a striker, a role occupied by Smith Rowe, Odegaard would still have a key role to play in the second half of Arsenal's season. In Odegaard's best rated domestic season, his fine 2018/19 Eredivisie campaign with Vitesse, the attacker started 27 of 33 league games from the right flank, where he garnered a WhoScored rating of 7.89.
Bukayo Saka may have been excellent from the right wing in recent outings, but Odegaard's capture could well see Arteta shake up his frontline and move Saka over to the left and push Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back into the lead striker role ahead of Smith Rowe. As such, Arsenal would have a fearless, youthful trio in support of a frontman who, while sub-par in 2020/21, would certainly benefit from such a young, potent attacking trident.
There is also the option for Arteta to use Odegaard further behind the attackers and have some creative thrust from deep. A key critique of Arsenal's season has been the lack of creativity in the middle of the park. Arteta sought to address this by moving to a 4-2-3-1, but there remains a lack of attacking intent from deeper in midfield. Odegaard could certainly address this concern if the Gunners boss elects to use the Real Madrid man as part of the double pivot.
It's a risk, of course, as it means the defence would likely be exposed if one of the two midfielders is tasked with supporting the offensive, but then the arrival of Thomas Partey was expected to ease this burden. The Ghana international has experience from playing in a central midfield two from his time with Atletico Madrid, thus easing the worry that may come with Odegaard being deployed in the double pivot.
Either way, Arsenal would be landing one of the most coveted youngsters in the game and a lack of game time with Real Madrid should not be indicative of a lack of quality. When used as a first team regular with Heerenveen, Vitesse and then Real Sociedad, Odegaard really showcased his talent to the watching world, and the ease with which he transitioned from the Eredivisie to LaLiga should serve as an example of how quickly he can settle to his new surroundings.
Only Lionel Messi (2.7) and Sergio Canales (2.2) made more key passes per game than Odegaard (2) in LaLiga last season and this eye for prying apart a backline is one factor that should excite Arsenal supporters, all the more so when considering when he operated deeper that rose to 2.9 key passes per game with Real Sociedad. Any issues surrounding his work off the ball can also be ruled out with Odegaard winning possession in the attacking third 37 times in LaLiga since the start of last season, that the seventh best record in the league. For context, Mikel Merino (45) leads this metric, and the Real Madrid man still sits highly despite struggling for minutes this season, but it's additional proof that he can shine in one of Europe's top leagues.
With the work of agent Dani Ceballos, the Spaniard talking up a move to north London to his Real Madrid teammate, Arsenal look to be ending the January window on a high. The Emirates looks to be Odegaard's likely destination before the end of the month and he'll be a quality addition to a squad brimming with young, exciting talent. A five-game unbeaten run has moved Arsenal to within seven points of the top four, something that seemed impossible prior to Christmas and, with the addition of Odegaard, improves the Gunners' chances of gatecrashing the Champions League places and ending the campaign with a trophy.
