Unleash Martin Odegaard at Real Madrid
My colleague Manas Pratim Sharma wrote that Martin Odegaard is Carlo Ancelotti’s main priority this season, and I am inclined to agree with him, though various pressures could skew that in the direction of big-name stars Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard.
But if we’re talking about a wild card who can take Real’s attack from “poor” to “competent” without costing the team a pretty penny (as Kylian Mbappe would), then a big season from Odegaard is the idea to zero in on.
Odegaard played well for Arsenal in the second half of the 2020-2021 season while on loan in North London, but he was in a bad squad with an even worse coach and didn’t get the benefit of the time he needed to integrate. The Norwegian is the kind of player who needs to be on the ball and get a feel for how his teammates play so that he can get the most out of the players around him. By trade, Odegaard is an attacking midfielder who lives off elevating his teammates. Go watch what he did in the first half of the 2019-2020 season at Real Sociedad.
Madridistas are salivating at the prospect of the “La Real” version of Odegaard showing up in Madrid. They didn’t get to see it last season due to Odegaard’s lingering knee injuries, lack of minutes, and subsequent loan to Arsenal.
Ancelotti can be the first manager to unleash the best version of Martin Odegaard at the Santiago Bernabeu. Given his reputation for working with No. 10’s and creative playmakers in general, such as James Rodriguez, Odegaard should be in very good hands.