Martin Odegaard was one of Arsenal’s best players in the second half of last season.
The Norwegian midfielder was on loan at the Emirates from Real Madrid and he left a great impression on Mikel Arteta.
The Spanish manager wanted him back at the club and kept praying Madrid would send him back to the Emirates on loan or a permanent transfer.
Emile Smith Rowe had just broken into the Arsenal first team when Odegaard joined and the Englishman had to compete with his fellow European star for a place in the team.
Arteta initially fielded both players in the same lineup, but that has changed recently and Odegaard is now being benched for Smith Rowe.
The Norwegian seems to have suffered a dip in form and it’s nothing new. Why was Arteta clearly obsessed with a move for him?
Odegaard shone in his spell on loan at Real Sociedad, but the Norwegian has struggled with consistency for much of his career.
He couldn’t make it at Real Madrid, one wonders why Arteta believed he would be the right player for his team.
The Norway captain is undeniably talented, but he seems to lack the physicality that is required to thrive in the Premier League.
Smith Rowe is also not overly physical, but the Englishman makes up for that with quick feet and seems to be much sharper on and off the ball.
Arteta made us believe Odegaard was the missing piece of the jigsaw at the Emirates. In hindsight, do you think he was unnecessarily obsessed over signing the midfielder?