Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed he tried to sign Martin Odegaard when the Norwegian was a teenager and has compared him to Cesc Fabregas.
Odegaard was a teenage prodigy like Fabregas, but he moved to Real Madrid after breaking onto the European football scene.
He could not establish a career for himself at the Spanish club and has been an Arsenal player since the start of 2021, where he has thrived.
Wenger recently visited the Gunners and has been following them even before the visit and has been impressed by what he sees of Odegaard.
He tells TV2:
“That was hard [when I didn’t sign him]. When he was 15, I talked to him. I actually spoke to Martin about it after the game now on Boxing Day.
“I was desperate to sign him. Fortunately, he is here now. He really is like a young Cesc Fabregas. I think he has developed into a complete player.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Odegaard is one of our finest players and it is very hard not to love the Norwegian as he delivers some outstanding performances for us.
He now captains the team, which clearly shows how highly regarded he is at the club and we expect him to continue leading by example.
If we win the league this season, his arrival is one reason we have made tremendous progress in the last two seasons.
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Odegaard is a world class player and he rightly exhibits so whenever he is on the pitch. He is a super star and a talented guy. All the best as he continues to be the captain of the mighty gunners.
I prefer Odegaard to Fabregas. I admire players who work so hard off the ball despite how brilliant they are with the ball. He’s a complete player, a team player
Fabregas was that as well. He played CM (not attacking midfield) in a two – it couldn’t have worked if he didn’t help out defensively.
Agree that Ode is a very complete, team player, though.
That’s why I couldn’t really understand Paul Merson, its Madrid that really held back the lad, they didn’t even wanted to sell him.
His loan prior to coming to us he scored 7 goals and made nine assists and Madrid abruptly cut his loan short.
Odegaard is fantastic as a captain too, his personality fits the profile.
I don’t think odegaard has shown the level of brilliance that fabregas did in the two peak years just before he left – fabregas really was a special player. However, odegaard has improved each year he’s been here at an amazing rate, and this season (past few games in particular) he’s been incredible. Basically I believe Ode has the raw talent, but doesn’t have the vision and quickness of thought that fabregas had (although Ode’s pass yesterday did show incredible vision and quick thinking!) – maybe I’ll rethink at the end of the season
Agree 100%, as I’m still not seeing what AW is regarding Odegaard.
Let’s hope he proves me wrong once again!!!
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Agree.. But he’s got better footwork dan fabgregas. By the way Arsenal should just get mykhalo already😩🙏🏽, just saw his clip and that boy has it ( speed, dribbles and eye for pass, he a good scorer too)
I don’t think he does, he’s flashier, but fabregas had great feet as well. Just different styles.
DAVI, I can , to a point only, see your opinion. I, as many others do, thought Fabragas a great player whose legacy was IMO rather unfairlytarnished ,when he went, as a still young man back to his home club.
He then let it be known he would like to return to us after leaving Spain the second time.
But catastrophically wrongly IMO, AW chose instead to bring in OZIL. In my sincere and deeply considered opinion, THAT disastrous AW mistake to bring in a player of sublime talent but NO guts or character, INSTEAD of having Fabregas back, set our team back YEARS and was one, among several other reasons, WHY we underperformed so long under the last few Wenger years and even onto MA beginning here.
Ozil was IMO the single most harmful player, even though sublimely talanted, Arsenal has bought in my sixty four year as an active Gooner. His damage lasted a full six years and was only FINALLY ended with his many years long OVERDUE sacking!
Jon, there was no way the club was going to buy back a player that had gone on strike to leave us !
Ozil had been here 12 months before Cesc came back to England ,so he did not choose Ozil over Cesc at all .not much point bring back a number 10 when he had just signed one of the best ones in the world at that time .
Not sure why you would have wanted a player back like him anyway ,he was a snake .
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Nonsense Dan. It was widely known that FABREGAS WANTEDTO LEAVE SPAIN AND RETURN TO US. He let it be known through communication channels and it was well known by all Gooners, you included, even though he did return not til we had landed OZIL. AW could have waited but jumped in for OZIL, a catastrophic mistake that cost us plenty and I MEAN FAR MORE THEN JUST MONEY TOO.
What lays behind your antipathy to me, in Ozils case- I accept there are other reasons for you personal antipathy, AW being just one other reason -is that you have never accepted my central charge against Ozil, that he was BONE IDLE, PLAYED FOR HIMSELF, AND THOUGH HE HAD one wonderful season and a half decent second, thereafter he basically retired on full pay, even when appearing in our shirt.
I objected to that MASSIVELY and said so, loud and often .
And that DAN , got up your nose, as we both know and to thsi day you have never been realistic enough to know how DAMAGING he was over all those remaining years he stayed.
THAT is why you slate me but it won’t wash. NOW, an overwhelming majority of Gooners recognise the damage he did and that I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG AND THAT YOU AND THOSE WHO THOUGHT LIKE YOU WERE WRONG.
And you are unable to have the humility to see how wrong you were, then so you attack the fan, me, who was most desperate to get that fraud gone from our club and thus cease harming us any longer.
And MA a manager you could not stand for a long time, till this season, when you seem finally to have seen the light many of us saw well before others, was responsible . Good on MA AND SHAME ON YOU for your narrow vision, both on Ozil and MA!
It it was up to you, we would still have OZIL, with Wenger in charge. GOD HELP US ALL!
Wtf are you going on about ,you’re long winded unnecessary post was to try to hide your first silly comment that you got completely wrong OnCE AGAIN .
It’s ok I put you right again though buddy ,like always .
No actual explanation of what happened, even as you see it, as usual DAN. Just your usual predictable slating of me personally and deriding me for giving full details, something you seem incapable of ever doing. Such a low intellect DAN!
BTW, for someone who has yet to write an article -perhaps you are frit- isn’t is about time you did so! And faced the criticism all writers get at times.
Arsène Wenger explained why he didn’t re-sign Fabregas.fist if all,I wouldn’t say that Fabregas legacy is untarnished,he made it clear that he wasn’t going to play for us and was ready to go on strike.he was so desperate to go that he put some of his own money to make the move happened.as I said AW explained that had he taken Fabregas back,what kind of message would it have sent to other players?that you can leave and if it doesn’t work out,you can come back.no,he wanted players to know that if they decided to leave it was for good.he also explained that TH14 and Flamini were 2 different cases.
Agree with your points on Ozil – I’d say a similar talent to fabregas (I think many believe Ozil was more talented, but i don’t at all – fabregas was a better long range passer and scored more goals) but nowhere near the guts (as you put it) of fabregas. I believe we’re seeing odegaard growing in confidence and also more and more that he has the drive and determination that Ozil lacked.
One skill Cesc did master was winning penalties,
It would be interesting to see which Arsenal player that had won more penalties than him.
Hello 👋 when Arsenel Wenger was in charge coaching the club he had good time and helped the club to lift more trophies 🏆. Wenger did he is best and put Arsenel into top 5 best club in English prime language. We always respect for what he did in the club. But to be honest at the end of his coaching at arsenal he was starting getting difficult at the club things started going wrongly arsenal started shaking and dropped down. All Arsenal fans were hungry with Wenger at the club. But now the new coach from 2020,2021,2022 it’s seems that Arsenel are back on top of spot and they looked 👌 well organised. It is good to see the club doing fantastic job at the pech ground 👏 👍 well done Arsenel for doing great job. Wish the club and all the staffs all the best and we are looking forward in this year 2023 to win 🏆 English premier league good luck