Arsenal captain Odegaard tipped for big change

Stuart Telford

• 15 Mar 2024 19:41 GMT
• 3 min read

Martin Odegaard would thrive in a deeper midfield role alongside Declan Rice, according to former Arsenal star Mikael Silvestre.

Odegaard has captained Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table this season, and has done so largely operating from the right of a midfield trio in Mikel Arteta's preferred 4-3-3 formation.

It is from there that he has enjoyed 12 direct goal-involvements from his 25 games, and he had 22 from 37 starts last term used largely as a No.10.

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But Silvestre, who variously played left-back and centre-back in a career that saw him turn out for Arsenal, Manchester United and France, thinks there could be a deep-lying playmaker in Odegaard.

"Martin can play everywhere in midfield," he told Bettingexpert. "He could also play in the position Andrea Pirlo played back in the day at AC Milan. ," the Frenchman told bettingexpert.

Odegaard 'can have an impact' from DM

"He's got that faculty and so many qualities, obviously technically but also in terms of positioning, link-up play and interacting with other players. He can have an impact, whether he's in a deep position or an advanced one.

"It depends on who you're facing and the players he's associated with. What's important is that he's in great form right now, and it's a crucial time for him as club captain of Arsenal."

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Pirlo effectively invented the position of deep-lying playmaker, having insisted to then-Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti that he could anchor the Milan midfield despite being a No.10 by trade.

He won five Serie A titles - with Milan the Juventus - and a World Cup with Italy after the change.

Whether Odegaard can scale such heights remains to be seen, but he has at least fulfilled the explosive early potential following a disappointing spell at Real Madrid, and is now valued at €70.3 million by FootballTransfers.