"Taking so many good steps" - Erling Haaland namedrops 'amazing' Arsenal star when asked to name player he rates highly in the PL

Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland has lavished praise on international teammate and Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian forward lauded his compatriot for his improvement at the north London outfit and for being awarded the captain's armband last summer.

Odegaard received the leadership responsibility under Mikel Arteta ahead of the 2022-23 campaign following Alexandre Lacazette's exit.

The midfielder displayed the ability to lead his team as he put on some impressive performances last season. He scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 37 Premier League appearances. He helped Arsenal compete in an extremely heated title race against champions Manchester City.

When asked which Premier League star he rates highly at the PFA Players' Player of the Year awards ceremony, Haaland said (as quoted by Football.London):

"Odegaard, my good friend. He's amazing and he's been taking so many good steps at Arsenal with [Mikel] Arteta ever since he came there and now he's the captain."

Odegaard is off to a great start to the 2023-24 campaign as well for the Gunners. He has already scored twice in four Premier League encounters. This included a crucial match-winning penalty against Crystal Palace on August 21, a game that saw the Gunners go down to 10 men.

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"I’d keep Odegaard" - Darren Bent claims he wouldn't 'swap' Arsenal midfielder for Real Madrid star

Pundit Darren Bent insists that he would not swap Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard for Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, despite the latter's exceptional start to the 2023-24 season.

Bellingham has racked up five goals and one assist in four La Liga encounters for Los Blancos since arriving from Borussia Dortmund earlier this summer. His performance have displayed why Real Madrid signed him for more than €100 million.

However, the midfielder, who was coveted by Europe's elite outfits before his move to Madrid, is not worthy of a spot in Mikel Arteta's side, according to Bent.

The pundit said on talkSPORT (as quoted by Football365):

“Bellingham? I love him, I love him. But the question that was put to me in the pre-show planning meeting was, would I swap Odegaard for him. And no, I’m not swapping our captain, one of our influential players. Right at this particular moment, I’d keep Odegaard, thank you.”

Odegaard also played for Real Madrid, making 11 senior appearances, before his move to Arsenal in January in 2021.