It's official! Odegaard is now the Premier League's BEST midfielder

Tom Weber

• 13 Mar 2023 09:19 CDT
• 3 min read

Martin Odegaard's rise to the top has been anything but linear. Now, however, Arsenal's Norwegian star is officially the best midfielder in the Premier League.

It's 793 all over again: the Norwegians are taking England by storm. While Erling Haaland is breaking records left and right for Manchester City, Martin Odegaard is dominating in midfield for the Gunners from London.

Having featured most prominently in Arsenal's midfield in the past 12 months, Odegaard can lay claim to being arguably the Premier League's most complete player now. And this shows up in the data, too. SciSports has recorded a SciSkill increase of a remarkable 15 points since the spring of 2022.

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Not only are Arsenal on course to win their first league title since the 2003 'Invincibles' season but the 24-year-old Norwegian has outperformed the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Casemiro this term. His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has risen accordingly.

Since signing for Arsenal from Real Madrid for €40m in the summer of 2021, Odegaard's ETV has steadily increased, currently peaking at a very impressive €61m. Over the past year, his value has shot up by some €28m.

What makes Odegaard so special?

17 goal contributions in 26 league outings this season speak for themselves, but it's not just his direct involvement in Arsenal's output that make the Norwegian an absolute nightmare to play against.

His excellent off-ball movement, constantly shifting and finding room between the lines and in the half-spaces, means that he is exceedingly difficult to mark. The ability to manipulate his opponents opens up space for his teammates to exploit.

The former Madrid man is an elite passer with the skill to pick out a perfect cross - and decent finishing to boot - but the relationship with his teammates is a symbiotic one. Without their much-improved form this campaign, he would not have been able to hit the heights he is currently hitting.

Much of this is down to Mikel Arteta's excellent coaching. His shift to a 4-3-3 formation has positively impacted Odegaard's game and enabled him to blossom.

READ: Arsenal will line up with Arteta's two summer transfer priorities

With Champions League football to look forward to next season and a Premier League title potentially under his belt by then, Martin Odegaard's stock will only continue to rise.