Darren Bent has suggested that he couldn’t believe it when Arsenal signed Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid on a permanent deal in 2021.
Mikel Arteta and Edu deserve immense praise for some of the transfers they’ve pulled off over the last two years. Almost every single one of them have been a success, even though they raised many eyebrows when they were first brought in.
Kai Havertz is one such player right now, but Arsenal fans should look at what happened with Odegaard and trust Arteta’s plan. Here’s what Bent had to say about the same on talkSPORT.
Darren Bent makes Martin Odegaard claim while talking about Arsenal signing Kai Havertz
Arsenal were absolutely outstanding last season, and Martin Odegaard was one of their best players.
The Gunners skipper scored 15 goals from midfield, which is an outrageous return. He was absolutely outstanding, and it’s just a shame he couldn’t lift the Premier League title in the end.
A couple of years ago, however, after Odegaard completed his loan spell at Arsenal, many pundits came out and claimed that Arsenal should not sign him on a permanent deal.
The Norwegian managed just two goals and two assists in his six-month spell at the time, and many believed he wasn’t the man to take the club to the next level.
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Now, it’s clear that all of them were wrong, and Bent has admitted that.
Speaking about players who exceed expectations, he said: “I’m hoping it happens to Arsenal, that they get Kai Havertz and I’m like ‘why are you signing him’ and all of a sudden, he explodes.
“Do you know who was one for Arsenal recently? Odegaard!
“He did OK in his first spell and they re-signed him for I think £25 million. I was like ‘really?'”
Kai Havertz could have a similar impact
Arsenal are reportedly on the verge of signing Kai Havertz from Chelsea.
The German had a really poor time at Stamford Bridge, with his Champions League-winning goal being his only notable contribution as a Blue over three years.
Many fans, pundits and the media are shocked that Arsenal are pushing so hard to sign him this summer, just like they were when Arteta and Edu signed Odegaard from Real Madrid for £30 million (Sky Sports)
The Norwegian has proven everyone wrong, and under the tutelage of Arteta, we won’t be surprised if Havertz goes on to do the same thing next season.