Cristiano Ronaldo's verdict on Martin Odegaard speaks volumes eight years on

But Odegaard did enough for the Gunners to sign him on a permanent deal for £30m in the summer of 2021. Once again, some Arsenal fans were baffled as to why Maddison wasn't the one Arsenal signed instead after Leicester agonisingly missed out on Champions League football.

Martin Odegaard is a fan favourite at Art

After a difficult start to the campaign, Odegaard cemented himself as a regular in the Arsenal side as they pushed for a place in the top four. As a reward for a string of impressive performances, Odegaard was named as the Gunners captain for the final nine Premier League matches of the 2021/22 season.

Odegaard finished the season on seven goals and five assists in the top flight, and he drastically improved that total last season as Arsenal mounted a Premier League title charge. The Norway international scored 15 goals and notched eight assists in 45 matches, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year for his efforts.

This term, Odegaard has seven goals and three assists to his name in 22 games and produced an exceptional performance for the Gunners against Brighton on Sunday. As for Ronaldo's verdict over eight years ago, Odegaard simply has a wand of a left foot and is producing regularly.