Over a decade ago, Martin Ødegaard became the youngest player ever to play for Norway at the senior level at 15 years and 253 days, and the youngest player ever to feature for Real Madrid after coming on as a substitute at 16 years and 157 days old.
He joined Arsenal in 2021 for a €40m fee, and a year later, he was announced as the club’s captain.
Over the last year or so, there’s been talk about whether he is the right man to lead Arsenal’s midfield going forward and whether he offers enough in attack.
In this Martin Ødegaard scout report, we will examine the role he plays under Mikel Arteta, the key strengths and weaknesses of his game, and ultimately determine whether Arsenal is the right club for him to continue at.
Martin Ødegaard Vision
Martin Ødegaard’s vision has never been in question.
Every football fan knows he has an exceptional eye on the pitch, reads his teammates’ runs very well, and plays the right pass to find them.
An interesting characteristic about his passing is his flair and deception.
He will not look at his teammate or keep his body facing where he is going to play the ball.
The defender has no idea what type of pass Ødegaard is going to play.
As we can see below, no one thinks Ødegaard will play it behind his teammate, who is making that run; his body language is secretive.
You can see it again below: he does not look up at Declan Rice as he makes the run into the box.
Still, his intelligence and vision come into play; even when looking at the goal, he knows Rice is making that run, and the slightest glance allows him to play it to his teammate, with no opponent able to get in the way in time.
Martin Ødegaard Positioning
Part of the reason Ødegaard is such a key player for Arsenal is his ability to effectively drop into all midfield roles, 6, 8, or 10.
His positioning across the pitch is what sets him apart from other midfielders.
He knows where to position himself behind the opponent’s defensive line, where he can play with a lot of space.
To get the best out of Ødegaard, he needs his space on the half-turn.
He is key to staying in the attack in the 10, but can even drop in as a deep-lying playmaker to help build-up.
His intelligence on the pitch is why he is such a key figure for Arsenal.
Martin Ødegaard Ball Carrying
Ødegaard is extremely calm in his dribbling and, having started playing top-flight football at such a young age, has gotten him used to the physicality that comes with the Premier League; he has built that over the years.
He is a great foul baiter and can defend the ball well on his dribble.
What makes Arsenal so dangerous and good at progressing the ball forward is their ball-carrying players.
Ødegaard is not a dribbler looking to take people on 1v1.
He is looking to break the lines and unlock a different momentum when he is trying to progress forward and switch the tempo.
In attack, he can hold off physical players and retain the ball.
We will take a look below at cases where his eagerness on the ball can worsen his style of play.
Martin Ødegaard Weaknesses
A big weakness in his game that some Arsenal fans have started to get frustrated with is his hesitation and delay in starting the attack.
Look at the first image below: he has three passing options in behind, his body is angled at 45 degrees to the right, and he can play the pass in behind.
Now he has switched back centrally and is taking more steps forward, the opponent can come in and stop the attack or intercept the pass.
The hesitation and delay in his decision are what destroy the attacking rhythm.
Again here, Ødegaard has the chance to play in behind to Leandro Trossard.
Ødegaard does not have much room to continue his dribbling forward; he needs to release it here, or else the momentum of the attack is finished.
Once again, his hesitation in releasing the ball and taking another dribble forward now lets the two opponents close in on him, and Trossard is left offside.
Now, the attacking momentum is over.
I would say this is Ødegaard’s biggest weakness, especially as a 10 who is supposed to be a core of the attacking help keep rhythm, killing attacking rhythm with such hesitation is not a good trait.
This is not the sort of trait you would expect to see in the captain of a team trying to win the Premier League.
Ødegaard has never been a goal-contribution-heavy midfielder, but his numbers have steadily dropped over his time in the Premier League.
His assist numbers can be tied back to his hesitation in playing at the right time when entering the opponent’s penalty box.
His dribble rate per 90 is the highest since 2022, at 2.2 per 90, and his success rate is 53.1%, which goes to show that, as the ball carrier of the squad, he has certainly been improving and is very important.
The issue is that the dribbling action is often 1-2 seconds too long, costing Arsenal an opportunity.
Best Fit At Arsenal Or Time To Jump Ship?
A club I can see Martin Ødegaard moving to and slotting in perfectly is Bayern Munich.
A team very heavy on this attacking style, looking for exceptional players in midfield.
The Bundesliga is a much more open league, with more space, and Ødegaard can thrive, maybe even becoming a Thomas Müller 2.0.
Although they have Michael Olise, who takes up some space that Martin Ødegaard would want to occupy, and Jamal Musiala, Ødegaard could still fit in alongside them.
Ødegaard can play more centrally as an 8 and give up space at times for Olise to come over.
A potential midfield could look like Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, and Martin Ødegaard.
The only worry with a midfield like this would be its defensive weakness, which could be offset by having fewer attacking full-backs to slot inside and invert for defensive strength.
He could certainly be a key player in taking Bayern Munich to another level.
Conclusion
Martin Ødegaard is still an elite player.
Although he has faced some trouble with his goals and assists output, he is still a crucial player for Arsenal.
He is an elite ball carrier with great vision in the 10, but can also drop deep into the 6 to help the build-up.
There are many aspects of his game that Arsenal fans do not like, and rightly so, but there are not many better midfielders who can do what he does.
His hesitation and overdribbling can cost Arsenal attacking rhythm, which you certainly do not want in your number 10.
It is interesting to see whether he can stick it out at Arsenal if they lose the title this year, and fans get even more upset with some of the squad.
He is an exceptional midfielder who needs to start winning trophies, and a club change could do just that.
In that case, a move to Bayern Munich looks very nice for him.
