Ødegaard at press-conference (Credit: flickr.com)
Since Martin Ødegaard’s move to Emirates Stadium from Los Blancos on January 27 his performances have been repeatedly praised by many. Arsenal manager is among them.
Martin’s only 22 years old, playing in one of the most competitive leagues in the world, yet he has adapted so fast that he was trusted to start in the last two games.
“He is a young leader,” Arteta said, “On the pitch he is showing a lot of character and a lot of intelligence. They are characteristics that a leader should have”, the Spaniard added, “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.”
The Norwegian international team player’s ability to find space and make key passes was obvious from his first minutes on the field, even though he match time under Zidane’s management was scarce. Ødegaard debuted in Real Madrid in 2015, but couldn’t make it to the starting eleven, just as many other talented midfielders at Los Blancos. Some of them preferred to leave the club and continue their career elsewhere: for example, Mateo Kovacic – who is one of the key players in the current Chelsea squad.
But Martin’s biggest rivals for the desired place in the team are English wonderboy Emile Smith Rowe and Ødegaard’s ex-teammate Dani Ceballos. And it’s hard to tell who’s going to leave Spain’s capital first. Some analysts on bookmaker-ratings.com wrote that they’ll both stay in London,but something tells us that Ceballos isn’t into the idea of extending his deal with Arsenal.
This is what Dani said about his ambitions at Real Madrid: “I signed a long contract with Madrid. I have two-and-a-half years left. My goal is to succeed at Arsenal. My wish is to wear the Madrid shirt.“ He added regarding loan deal extension, “A third year on loan? No, my goal is to return to Real Madrid and be important at the best club in the world. I believe that one day I will come back and be able to return the affection that the fans showed me.”
Plus, we shouldn’t forget that Zidane depends on his loyal players, who are at a decent age: Toni Kroos (31 y.o.), Luka Modrić (35 y.o.), Casemiro (29 y.o.). With the intensity of modern football and the amount of tournaments Real Madrid contests (La Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup), one of them (either Ceballos or Ødegaard) will have their chances soon enough.
Whether it be another loan or a permanent deal, Arteta considered different kinds of deals:
“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,” Arsenal manager added.
“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”.
We’ll see the results of this deal in the future, but for now Arsenal have got themselves a brilliant player, who fits Arteta’s vision perfectly.
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