“At the time, Arsenal were not doing well” – Odegaard reveals how ‘next level’ Arteta convinced him to join Gunners via Zoom call

Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard has revealed that Mikel Arteta convinced him to join the Gunners via a Zoom call. The midfielder claims the manager is 'next level' in convincing players about his project.

Arsenal were not at their best when Arteta called Odegaard to join the Gunners in 2021. The former Real Madrid man recalls that the London side were 15th in the Premier League table, but the pull of the project was too good to reject the deal.

Writing in his Player's Tribune column, Odegaard revealed:

"I spoke to Mikel Arteta on a Zoom call and he told me all about the project. At the time, Arsènal were not doing well. They were way down like 15th in the table, but that meeting … Honestly, I challenge anyone to come away from a meeting with Arteta and not believe everything he tells you. He is next level. It's hard to explain."

Speaking about the Spanish manager, Odegaard claimed that the manager is passionate and helps players understand the plan clearly. He continued:

"He's passionate, he's intense and sometimes, yeah, he's a bit crazy … but when he speaks, you understand that whatever he says will happen, will happen. He told me his plan, everything he was building towards. He knew exactly what needed to change at the club."

He added:

"He told me all about these amazing young players in the squad — Saka, Martinelli, Smith Rowe, etc., etc. He told me how he wanted me to fit in and how I was going to improve."

Odegaard joined Arsenal from Real Madrid on loan in January 2021 before joining permanently in the summer of that year. He has contributed 17 goals and 13 assists in 86 games for the club.

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Martin Odegaard promises big things for Arsenal

Martin Odegaard believes the current Arsenal squad has no limits. He claims that no one can convince him otherwise and added that he is set to remain at the club for a long time.

Odegaard added:

"I will say this, though, if there's anyone left who still doesn't fully believe in this team, take it from me: there are no limits on what we can achieve. No one can tell me otherwise. I'm so proud to be captain of this club and I feel like I'm going to be here a long time."

The Gunners named Odegaard the captain after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette were let go in 2022.

Arsenal are at the top of the league table, five points above Manchester City with a game in hand.