Odegaard: Arsenal will be a ‘good match’ for me

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

New Arsenal signing Martin Odegaard has said that he believes the club will be a “good match” for him.

Odegaard arrives on loan at the Emirates Stadium from Real Madrid until the end of the season. There is no purchase option in the deal.

It is expected that he will solves Arsenal’s creativity problems over that time. Meanwhile, Odegaard should benefit from additional playing time, having often been reduced to the role of substitute under Zinedine Zidane.

Certainly, Odegaard is optimistic about his prospects of shining in north London.

“I like the club and I always liked the way that the club wants to play. Everything about the club and now how the manager wants to play, I think it’s a club that really suits me well. So I think it’s a good match,” he said.

The influence of Mikel Arteta was also vital in the deal.

“I spoke to him before coming here, of course,” Odegaard told the club’s website. “That was very important for me and he seems like a top manager and I liked his ideas, the way he sees football and also the way he is.

“He gave me a great feeling and that was important for me to come here. He was crucial.

“I think every time you go to a new place, you want to make sure that it feels good and that there is a plan. But I think everything here just seems good.”

The Arsenal backroom staff are also excited about the prospect of the playmaker arriving.

“Martin Odegaard is of course a player that we all know very well and although still young, he has been playing at the top level for a while,” manager Mikel Arteta said. “Martin will provide us with quality offensive options and we’re all excited to be integrating him into our plans between now and May.”

Meanwhile, sporting director Edu added: “Martin is an exceptional talent and we are strengthening our squad by introducing an exciting offensive player to the club for the remaining months of this season.”

Odegaard could be available to make his debut for Arsenal in Sunday’s Premier League showdown against Manchester United. With Emile Smith Rowe going off in the 3-1 win over Southampton on Tuesday, his chances of playing have been enhanced.

Arteta’s side are in good form, having gone undefeated in each of their last six Premier League matches, moving them up to eighth in the process.