Martin Ødegaard: Mikel Arteta's Creative Metronome and Mesut Özil's Long-Term Replacement

After the unsavoury and unceremonial exit of Mesut Özil to Fenerbahçe on January 17, 2021, it has been difficult for Arsenal to find consistent rhythm in the attacking third of the pitch. The mercurial German would always prove difficult to replace, with Özil providing 77 assists in 254 appearances in his seven-and-a-half years in North London.

Whilst it is undeniable that zil's levels dropped after signing a contract extension in January 2018 that saw him become Arsenal's highest-paid player in club history with a weekly salary of £350,000, nobody can deny that his time at Emirates Stadium was a success, the peak coming in 2015/16 when he created a record 146 chances and finished with 19 assists in the Premier League.

Following the German's departure to Turkey, Martin Ødegaard was brought in on loan from Real Madrid to fill the vacant #10 position. Ødegaard had struggled for opportunities at the Spanish capital following a stellar loan spell at Real Sociedad, and his loan at Arsenal saw him register one goal and two assists in 20 appearances for the club.

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