Martin Odegaard reveals how Arteta influenced him to join Arsenal

Martin Odegaard tells how Arteta convinced him to join the Gunners.

The 24-year-old midfielder arrived on loan in January 2021 from Real Madrid before his deal was made permanent in the following summer in a deal worth £30m.

The Norwegian captain has since become an integral and crucial part of Arsenal’s revolution under manager Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners are currently flying high in the Premier League and five points clear of reigning champions Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta has been credited for the club’s recent success after they missed out on Champions League qualification on the final day last term.

Martin Odegaard then went on to explain how persuasive Arteta can be.

He said: “I spoke to Mikel Arteta on a Zoom call and he told me all about the project. At the time, Arsenal were not doing well. They were way down like 15th in the table, but that meeting … Honestly, I challenge anyone to come away from a meeting with Arteta and not believe everything he tells you.

“He is next level. It’s hard to explain. He’s passionate, he’s intense and sometimes, yeah, he’s a bit crazy … but when he speaks, you understand that whatever he says will happen, will happen.