Arsenal have encountered a few problems on the pitch this season, and arguably the biggest challenge for this team has been creating chances and scoring goals from midfield.
I can think of numerous matches where we struggled to have a shot on goal or create clear cut chances, it has been one of the many reasons why we have endured some disappointing results this 20/21 campaign.
Many were calling for Ozil to be brought back into the side, but that was never a realistic option. Now Mesut has left to join Fenerbahçe in a permanent deal, the club viewed the signing of a new Attacking Midfielder this month as a top priority despite Smith-Rowe’s positive impact.
Speaking to an Arsenal fan forum in December last year, Technical Director Edu Gaspar said: “It’s quite clear what we need, we need a player with creativity in the middle, we don’t have that in the squad right now.”
Arsenal’s plan in this window was to focus on outgoings first, and depending on what stage they were at with that, they would then look to make some additions before the deadline. Brighton Goalkeeper Mat Ryan joined on loan last week, and now someone else has followed him through the door.
Real Madrid’s Martin Ødegaard has joined the Gunners on a six month loan deal following the Norwegian’s lack of game time under Zinedine Zidane at the Spanish giants.
The 22-year-old spent Monday at London Colney undergoing his medical, signing paperwork and completing the usual media duties.
I wanted to find out more about Martin and get a good idea of what we can expect from him whilst he is at the club, so I decided to reach out to the brilliant Semra Hunter. Semra is the lead presenter on LaLigaTV and has previously been the host on Real Madrid TV. You may also recognise her from one of my previous articles: Thomas Partey: An Interview With LaLigaTV Presenter Semra Hunter.
Semra talks about the players’ time in Spain, his qualities, what’s happened this season and so much more.
Enjoy the read!
“I remember it like it was yesterday. It was late May, 2015. I was pitchside working for Real Madrid TV on the day that Martin Ødegaard was due to make his debut with the Real Madrid first team. He was warming up right in front of me – bright orange boots, hot pink jacket, number 41…one of the most prized teenage sensations who had caught the interest of some of the biggest clubs across the continent was to become the youngest player to ever debut for the club in LaLiga. He was 16.”
“Fast forward four years, after loan moves to Heerenveen and Vitesse in the Netherlands, he’s recalled to Spain but sent back out on loan to continue his development in LaLiga with Real Sociedad for the 2019-20 season. I had the chance to interview him fairly early into his time with the Basques, and what struck me most was just how much he’d grown in such a short space of time.”
“That time spent away from the Spanish capital to continue developing his game and away from the limelight did him a world of good. There was always a bit of a worry that he could have been thrown into the deep end too fast when he wasn’t ready for it, as we’ve seen time and time again with young players who peak too soon. So back to 2019, and now at 20, he was so mature and grounded for his age. Behind his incredibly polite, well spoken, easy going and joyful exterior, there was very much a deep determination, drive and focus to become one of the best in the game.”
“Those characteristics I saw in him very much translated to what we saw on the pitch week in, week out. It’s no exaggeration to say that – Lionel Messi aside – Martin Ødegaard was probably the best player of the season all the way up until the lockdown started in March. He’d won the Player of the Month award for September and just continued to light up the league from there. Ødegaard scored some cracking goals (while not his main job, he does have that in his locker), but more importantly rose very quickly into the leader amongst the ranks. Just about everything was channeled through him, especially in order to go forward. Plus, he was largely responsible for the team’s early success as the revelation side of the campaign until the pandemic hit – a team which was (and still is) loaded with young, dynamic and energetic players of exceptional talent like Mikel Oyarzabal, Mikel Merino, Willian Jose, Alexander Isak, etc. who produced some of the most exciting and attractive football across the division.”
“There’s so much to like about the Norwegian. Think David Silva, but a much younger, still developing version. There are a lot of similarities between them in terms of their style and natural abilities. He’s a left-footed, creative attacking midfielder with a wonderful sense of how to read the game, where and when to place the pass (especially in the final third) with incredible precision and timing which often leads to assists or at the very least sets up plenty of other chances on goal.”
“However, while he generally is good with the ball at his feet and a good dribbler, because he likes to take risks and advance as much as possible, it also means that he can be prone to losing possession. While he has some remarkable qualities and innate talent for someone of such a young age, there is always room for improvement. One such area could be for him to become a bit more two-footed as he relies (understandably) quite a bit on his left. Another could be to track back and lend a helping hand in defensive duties (while in fairness, I’m not entirely sure he was ever required to do so while at La Real).”
Martin Ødegaard in Arsenal colours – Arsenal.com
“Following the return to action in the summer to finish the season, he wasn’t quite able to recreate that form from the earlier stages of the campaign. In truth, the team as a whole really dropped off and struggled to play as brilliantly as they had done until March. Pre-lock down they were 4th and well on their way to assuring Champions League football for this season. But in the final 11-match sprint to close out 2019-20’, they recorded 6 in a row without a win and a total of 5 losses, 4 draws and only 2 wins to barely finish 6th and qualify for the Europa League.”
“For me it was a huge shame that his loan spell got cut short with Real Sociedad. The original deal was for two seasons, but he was brought back to the Spanish capital this summer as the only “new” incorporation into the squad at Madrid. Zidane was apparently a major factor in convincing Ødegaard to come back prematurely. There is no doubt in my mind it was a mistake. He should have been left to continue on the path he was on. He would have been playing regularly – injuries permitting – but instead has been relegated to life on the bench after a bright start. He’s hardly touched a ball this season, and when he’s played he hasn’t fully looked comfortable. It’s fair to say that he’s far from his best.”
“By this time last season he’d racked up 1,530 minutes in 17 LaLiga appearances, scored 4 goals, and made 5 assists. By stark contrast, this time around with Real Madrid he’s started only 3 of the 7 league matches he’s played for a grand total of 232 minutes. 0 goals, 0 assists. He’s also had some bad luck with a recurring knee injury which has kept him sidelined for long periods this past year. More specifically, patellar tendinopathy. And in all honesty looking at the bigger picture, it’s something I worry could have a negative impact on his career going forward.”
“He’s capable of so much more, of that I’m very sure. And at the right place and in the right conditions, I’m confident that he can be the Martin Ødegaard who consistently impressed with La Real. It’s a crying shame that he’s leaving Spain, because he was such a joy to watch and is one of the best talents in the league. I’d hoped that he would return to the Basque outfit on loan after asking to leave Madrid, back to a club with a manager and teammates which made him a star. But at least for now it’s just a loan deal until the end of the campaign, with him in theory returning to Spain in the summer. It’s perfectly understandable that he wants minutes, and at 22, he needs minutes.”
“I hope that Mikel Arteta is able to have the impact on his development the way that Alguacil had, short as it may be. As to how he can fit in at Arsenal – he can shoulder some of the burden in the space left behind following the departure of Mesut Özil, sprinkle some more creativity in build-up play in the final third or even play out wide given the choice of system. Seeing as how Smith Rowe has been flying of late, I’m not sure how much of a given it will be for the Norwegian that he walks into the starting XI, at least as a 10. Plus, on paper his time in an Arsenal shirt is meant to be short lived. His contract runs until 2023 at the Santiago Bernabéu, and it’s always been his clear ambition to become a global superstar at Real Madrid. So fingers crossed that while his time at the Emirates may be short, it’ll be sweet.”
I thank Semra for taking the time to give us all a fantastic insight into Martin Ødegaard, you can follow her on Twitter by clicking here.
It may only be a loan deal to begin with, but I’m still excited to see him play for us. For me, it was really important to get another CAM in this window. It wouldn’t have been fair to rely on Emile every week and if he was unavailable for any reason, we’d be in a very difficult position. Willian as a no.10? No thanks. I think this move will provide some healthy competition.
As we are all aware, we’ve desperately needed a quality playmaker who can make a difference during 90 minutes. Someone who can pick out passes which no one else can and who also finds the back of the net from time to time too. I think Martin will give us just that, and with players like Aubameyang, Saka, Martinelli, Xhaka and Partey around him, it could work really well.
I look forward to seeing how Ødegaard does over the next few months and maybe, just maybe, we could see him join permanently in the summer if he’s a success. I just hope he can stay fit, especially after what Semra had to say about his reoccurring knee injury!
COYG