Three reasons why Real Madrid must trust Martin Ødegaard in 21/22
By Hasan Karim
When Martin Ødegaard returned from his Real Sociedad loan early in the summer of 2020, Real Madrid fans had every right to be delighted. Not only had the prodigy finally returned, but he returned looking every bit the star he was expected to be when he was just a teenager.
However, much like the current reality the world finds itself in, the unexpected occurred. Ødegaard hardly got a look-in and he now finds himself on loan at Premier League side Arsenal. In what has been an incredibly frustrating saga for Real, next season needs to be the moment the Norway international is finally given the trust and opportunity to thrive. Here, we discuss three reasons why Real need to trust him.
Creative ability:
Ødegaard’s creative ability is something that could be hugely beneficial for Real Madrid. It’s no secret that during his tenure in the Basque country at Real Sociedad, the Norwegian’s creative numbers were very impressive.
For context, since the start of the 19/20 season, Martin has created 68 chances. 19 more than the next best creator at Arsenal, in fact, he created more chances than both Luka Modric and Toni Kroos last season too.
Even this season, there have been games where the midfielder has showcased his attacking brilliance. In Real’s 2-0 loss to Shakthar, Ødegaard created more chances with three than the entirety of the other players on the team combined.
Reflecting back on his breakout season, he ranked in the top five for key passes per 90, top 10 for big chances created, 9th for dribbles completed per 90 – the list goes on, when it comes to the next generation of creative midfielders, Ødegaard is quite comfortably one of the very best.