Paul Merson says Arsenal star looks like a ‘new £100m signing’ this season | Football

Paul Merson has heaped praise on Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard following the side’s derby victory over Chelsea, claiming the midfielder is looking like a ‘new £100million signing’ this season.

Odegaard had a largely underwhelming season by his standards last term, managing just one goal while chipping in with six assists across Arsenal’s title-winning campaign.

It represented a major drop-off in return when compared to Odegaard’s second and third years with the Gunners, when he provided a significant goal threat and was twice named Arsenal’s Player of the Season.

However, Odegaard has hit the ground running this term, scoring Arsenal’s third goal in the Community Shield before finding the net versus both Coventry City and Chelsea in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old ran the show in Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea and came away with the man-of-the-match award after completing an impressive 24 line-breaking passes as well as scoring the winner at the Emirates.

He will no doubt be looking to pick up where he left off this evening when the English champions kick off their Champions League group-stage campaign away to Napoli.

‘I think if Odegaard got injured then Arsenal would get by, but he is back to what he was two years ago,’ Merson said of the Norwegian’s lightning start to the new season on Sky Sports News.

‘If he can keep on playing like he’s been playing, that’s like a £100m new signing for Arsenal.

‘Over the last couple of years, his standards haven’t been good enough but the goal against Chelsea, they’re the goals you put up there for goal of the season.

‘The dummy by Kai Havertz and the finish by Odegaard… that’s football.’

Merson believes Arsenal have to be considered among the favourites to win this year’s Champions League after being beaten by PSG in last season’s final.

But the ex-Arsenal and England midfielder fears the club’s failure to make a ‘superstar’ addition me to their attack may cost them come the business end of Europe’s premier competition.

Asked if Arsenal’s fanbase would prefer to win the Premier League or the Champions League this season, Merson replied: ‘Now they’ve won the Premier League after a long, long time, I think it would probably be the Champions League.

‘I don’t want to talk on behalf of everybody else but there’s a song that goes around that says, “We’ve won it all, we’ve won it all”, and Arsenal haven’t been able to sing that.

‘I would imagine Arsenal fans would like to win that to be able to sing that song at away grounds.

They were so close over the last few years and then they got over the line impressively last season.

‘They’ve kicked on again, bought some good players. I do think they could have gone again and bought a real superstar but their squad is immense.

‘They are so solid, it’s so hard to get a shot off against them let alone score a goal.’

Speaking to Sky Sports after Sunday’s derby victory, Odegaard praised the ‘fighting’ spirit that Arsenal displayed after going behind so early in the match.

‘It was a massive game with a tough opponent,’ the Arsenal skipper said.

‘It was really hard for us – we got there in the end. Our mentality is to keep fighting.

‘Conceding early wasn’t ideal but we reacted really well. We played well in the second half and got our reward.’

Odegaard singled out Havertz’s performance for special praise, with the German scoring Arsenal’s equaliser before having a hand in the hosts’ 50th-minute winner.

‘He’s a really smart player and moves so well. He takes defenders’ attention,’ Odegaard added.

‘When he makes the run and I come from behind, I’m always free. It was a brilliant goal.’

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