Martin Odegaard has emerged as one of the leading players in the Premier League and a good Arsenal captain.
Many football prodigies do not reach their full potential and there were fears it could also be the case for Odegaard when he first broke onto the scene and signed for Real Madrid.
The Spanish club loaned him out for several seasons and he never really proved his worth to them.
Mikel Arteta took a chance on him. After a loan spell in the second half of the 2020/2021 season, Arsenal made his transfer permanent before last season.
The midfielder has just been made the club’s captain, and he has been a key member of their squad.
After helping Arsenal to maintain their 100 per cent start to this season with a 2-1 win over Fulham, Gary Lineker wonders why Madrid sold him.
Lineker said on BBC’s Match of the Day: “Do you know what baffles me a little bit, is how have Real Madrid let him slip away when they’ve got Modric and Kroos, who are really at the end of their careers?” It’s a strange one because he’s so clearly talented, isn’t he?”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Signing Odegaard is one of the transfer decisions we have made that makes perfect sense.
The Norwegian fits into the culture we are building and he has the performance level the team needs to reach its full potential.
He is still just 23, and he has not even reached the peak of his career yet.
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At least Lineker has a top football pedigree and is widely respected throughout football, unlike Agbonlahor, O’Hara and other nonentities.
So I’ll gladly endorse and agree with Linekers thoughts.
OT- Fed up with the Conte love in from pundits. Spurs have been dire today, dire last week and dire against Chelsea. They have been time wasting since the 1st half against Forest, embarrassing. Slightly worrying that they are picking up so many points when playing so bad but thankful Conte never rocked up here. The football is horrid outside the outside the off counter or moment of magic from their forward starts. Looks ok on highlight reels, awful over 90.
@Angus
RealTalk. Kinda feel sorry for Forest. They were hard done by…
Spot on!
Just couldn’t finish 😔
*OT
Nuno just keeps bangin em in…Go Dude.
The lad is on fire, maybe they should play him as a number 9
They say cart’s to good drivers that they be driven well Madrid never gave Ode good game time to watch him if he can beform so let them watch from a far how he cook assists and serve goals for all of us to see
It is just what Real Madrid do
No patience if a player is not an instant success
The bigger mystery is why he went there in the first place, should have picked a club known for youth development like Ajax or Dortmund
I guess they were expecting Madrid to be crying for letting him go. After winning so much without him.
It’s not even about being patient, no milfieder would have break the trio midfielder of kroos, modric and caseimero.
Madrid replaced ode with another young prospect like ode as well so it wasn’t about being patient at all. It’s the way they play doesn’t fit his kind of player.
Madrid doesnt use the system of ATM any more and so are many top team. Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern and Madrid have won the champions league without any ATM in the team.
Meanwhile ode was replaced with someone younger like himself there.
Many were questioning pep for selling Jesus and sterling as well but he replaced them with someone younger who have already outscored both him and sterling combined and he’s leading scoring chart.
I think pep will regret selling sterling and Jesus, in fact I’m not sure he wanted them to go, but they needed to play every week, so being a decent man he granted their request.. Haaland is a generational talent who probably would of sold closer to mbappe price tag if not for he’s release clause. Obviously he’s better, but I feel he will pick up a lot of injury’s due to he’s size and speed, defenders are going to hack him down (which is a travesty).
And will be without two reliable goal scorers/ creators..imo…
I disagree, unless you have not really pay attention with the way city play.
They don’t rely on single player at all.
They have outstanding players but only few of them play every week.
Sterling and Mahrez were their most clinical forward and you don’t see them start every week despite that.
Jesus scored just 8 goals for them the last time, out of 90+ goals they scored. In fact sterling and Jesus had less than 30goals combined the last time. Sterling even said he doesn’t know why he was being treated that way despite having great numbers. He was left out a lot last season.
one thing about city is they are not too reliant on any of them.
Anyone would have thought they will struggle for goals a bit without aguero, but they were perfect without him, including with Silva. They have too many qualities in their side.
I agree with what you say I just think they have bought Haaland to play as their main forward (and a lot of pundits say the same) so it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months.
It’s a bit like having Ronaldo (every one tends to play through him) instead as you say goals from all players.. Aguero obviously is a different type of player to Haaland, comes short and helps with build up play where’s as Haaland does not touch the ball that much which as been highlighted by the game against CP 16 touch’s I think 🤔 so he is more of a traditional centre forward. And consequently might take away their number of goals scored compared to last season. Let’s see how it works out for them👍
You are absolutely right. I think the reason why they went for him was because he could be the difference for them in UCL they are chasing.
Haland has got a nearly perfect record in UCL, and that’s the only competition city are yet to win. The biggest prize so it makes sense they went for him and other reasons. City will definitely adjust a bit to fit him in and he will have to adapt to the way city play as well.
I don’t think any top team in the world would turn down the chance to sign Haland regardless.
He’s young, score goals for fun, he came cheap as well.
But like you said his injury record is quite an issue but then city are surrounded with players who can score from their midfielder to their attackers. They haven’t had a player win golden boots in years unlike Liverpool, but they still end up their with Liverpool in terms of goals scored.
Some time they surpass them.
+1 @Nabilo
Spot on. That’s why I’m surprised that so many players go there – more careers have been destroyed there than made there.
An exmplae that springs to min is Gareth Bale, who trashed the latter part of his playing career warming a bench in Madrid (while crying all the way to the bank, as they say).
I was impressed that AW had the wisdom in his soul to avoid being tempted to go there. He knew when he was happy and had enough money.
More career have been destroyed there than made there.
Strongly agree, Anelka first came to mind
After watching the player in his loan spell with us, I was not impressed at all and doubted his signing.
Hands up I was completely wrong and his performance yesterday, in particular, was immense.
Well done Mikel once again.
I was reading on the BBC sports site, Real sold Ode to try and raise funds for either Haaland or Mbappe…Ironic, ain’t it…IJS