08 April 2024 , 07:05
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Legendary Arsenal figure Arsene Wenger has discussed Martin Odegaard's first trial with the Gunners, long before he'd go on to captain the club.
Nowadays, Odegaard dons the armband for an Arsenal side still vying to win both the Premier League and the Champions League this term as the season approaches its final furlong. However, back when he was a boy wonder wanted by every club on the continent, the Gunners tried to sign him from boyhood club Strømsgodset.
As Wenger mentions, they would fail in that mission, with a 15-year-old Odegaard opting to join Spanish giants Real Madrid instead. Things didn't work out for the Norwegian at the Santiago Bernabeu and after various loan stints in the Netherlands and Spain, he now lines up on a permanent basis for the north Londoners.
Shedding light on his own encounter with Odegaard while speaking to former Arsenal ace Freddie Ljungberg, Wenger explained: "Yes, I remember him very well. We did fight like mad to get him.
"I got him in a training session and I remember Steve Morrow brought him into training with his father. He reminded me of Cesc Fabregas, good vision, good technical quality, easy with professional players in the first-team.
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"You could see something special there but in the end he has chosen to go to Real Madrid."
Odegaard is now one of the first names on the team-sheet at the Emirates, with the attacking midfielder an integral part of Mikel Arteta's side. So far this season, the 25-year-old has seven goals and six assists in the Premier League alone.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Where does Odegaard rank among the league's best midfielders? Comment below
Martin Odegaard has been in fine form for Arsenal this season (Getty Images)A huge tie awaits Arsenal in their next outing, when they welcome German titans Bayern Munich to the Emirates for the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final showdown. It is a contest that will see ex-Tottenham talisman Harry Kane return to the capital, aiming to inflict more misery on his old rivals.
However, Odegaard has made clear that Arsenal will not fear their former tormentor. "I think we should respect him," the Gunners skipper said. "But I don’t think we should fear anyone and we should focus on ourselves and the quality we have in our team. That is all.
“He’s a good player, of course, and I have played against him a few times. We know the quality he has in the box and he is also good in the link up. We are facing a good team.”
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