"He's a real example that they love their football" - Ray Parlour singles out Arsenal star after watching Gunners training

Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour recently shared his thoughts about the Gunners' progress under manager Mikel Arteta and his squad. The talkSPORT pundit was particularly impressed with midfielder Martin Odegaard after watching him closely in training on the Gunners' pre-season tour of the US.

Parlour thinks of the Norwegian as an exemplary footballer. He believes that the 23-year-old typifies the kind of football Arsenal have been trying to produce under Arteta.

Speaking on the talkSPORT YouTube channel with Alan Brazil, the retired professional said:

“Odegaard, you see him in training, he is always on the ball. He’s a real example that they love their football. They can’t wait to get him out of the training field. That’s what you want as a manager. You want players that are really hungry to train hard and I have seen that when I was watching a couple of training sessions."

The Arsenal midfielder is an efficient operator in the middle of the park and is easily their most creative outlet. He has the ability to spot runners in the final third and execute defense-splitting passes which often get Arteta's team on the front foot.

Odegaard will likely have more responsibilities than just playmaking next season as he is expected to wear the captain's armband.

Odegaard joined Arsenal on loan from Real Madrid in January 2021. His move was then permanent last summer and he contributed seven goals and five assists in 40 matches in all competitions.

Parlour also credited Arsenal's hard work in training sessions as the reason behind their convincing 4-0 victory against Chelsea in their pre-season clash.

The pundit added:

"You can see that they are really at it. That’s why they beat Chelsea 4-0 because they had a little bit more energy. And that’s down to training.”

The Gunners will kick off their 2022-23 Premier League campaign with the season opener against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, August 6.

---

Arsenal turned down the opportunity to sign PSG centre-forward

The Gunners had the opportunity to sign out-of-favor Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Mauro Icardi this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano (via Caught Offside). The Ligue 1 giants had offered them the striker, but the English side snubbed him in favor of pursuing a move for Gabriel Jesus.

They signed the Brazilian from Manchester City for £45 million.

So far, that move seems to be paying its dividends. He has gotten off to a flying start in the Arsenal jersey and has scored four times in the Gunners' friendly games in four matches.

His pressing intensity, mobility, work rate and versatility are all things that Icardi would have perhaps lacked. Hence, this does not seem like a decision that Arteta would regret.