Arsenal: Arteta explains how he convinced Odegaard to join
Arsenal have little chance of signing Martin Odegaard on a permanent transfer, according to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague. Odegaard joined Arsenal on loan from Real Madrid in the January transfer window. The Norway international had struggled for game time under Zinedine Zidane.
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Arsenal transfer news: Europa League is the Gunners' only hope of silverware (Image: EXPRESS)
However, he was wary of throwing him straight into action.
“He’s a player that we followed for some time and we believe that he’s got some special qualities that we need, that we have been missing,” Arteta said.
“Now we have to give him a little bit of time. He hasn’t played that many minutes in Madrid but he’s been training hard and he looks so excited, as we are, to have another big talent at our club.
“I think in the last few seasons he’s progressed and developed in the right way. I’ve followed him very closely because he played for Real Sociedad, which is my home town. I know him really well.
“I’ve been really impressed. He’s such a talent. He needs the right environment, he needs a little bit of time but I think he’s got the qualities to be a success for us.
“He’s a specialist to play in the pockets, to play in the No. 8 or 10 positions. He can play off the sides. “He’s a really creative player who’s really comfortable on the ball in tight spaces.
“He has the capacity to create chances and to score goals. Something that he has improved a lot is his work rate without the ball as well, so it’s another option to give us more creativity for sure in the final third, and give us more options to set up in different ways against certain teams.”