Martin Odegaard’s return to form has been likened to a £100 million signing by former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson, who believes the captain could prove decisive for Mikel Arteta’s side this season.
Odegaard has scored three goals in Arsenal’s opening four matches, a significant improvement on last term when the Norway international managed only one goal in all competitions.
“He is back to what he was two years ago,” Merson told Sky Sports. “If he can keep on playing the way he’s playing, that’s like a £100m new signing.”
The midfielder’s recent performances have followed an injury-disrupted campaign in which he struggled to maintain his rhythm. Merson believes a fully fit Odegaard can restore a level of creativity and attacking influence that Arsenal missed last season.
Arsenal have also seen encouraging signs from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, with the trio having previously formed the core of one of Arteta’s most effective attacking combinations.
Their regular involvement was a feature of Arsenal’s strong 2023-24 campaign, when they pushed Manchester City to the final day of the Premier League title race before finishing second.
Paul Merson warns Arsenal still lack a major attacking signing
Despite his praise for Odegaard, Merson remains concerned that Arsenal did not add a decisive attacking player during the summer transfer window.
In his latest Sky Sports column, he said the club had missed the opportunity to sign the kind of “X factor” forward who could make the difference in the latter stages of the Champions League, mentioning Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez as examples.
Merson believes Arsenal have enough strength to challenge for the Premier League, but feels their forward line could leave them short against Europe’s leading sides.
For now, however, Odegaard’s revival offers Arteta a substantial boost. If the 27-year-old can maintain his early-season form alongside Havertz and Saka, Arsenal may have found the extra attacking dimension they were seeking without having to spend another huge transfer fee.
