Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent has claimed that Arsenal's Martin Odegaard is currently better than Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes joined the Red Devils back in January 2020 and proved to be an instant hit with the supporters at Old Trafford, consistently scoring goals and providing assists for his teammates. The Portuguese international has notched nine Premier League goals and six assists this season but his United side have struggled, sitting sixth in the current league standings.
Now, former Spurs frontman Bent has admitted that he would prefer to have Odegaard in his team than Fernandes, who is valued at £81million on Transfermarkt. When asked if he would take the former Sporting Lisbon star at Arsenal, Bent told Talksport : “No, I wouldn’t – I’ll tell you that right now.
Read more: Paul Merson names the one Arsenal player that has proved him wrong this season
"No, I would not. Right now, I’d rather have Martin Odegaard with the way Arsenal are playing.”
He added: “I’m taking Odegaard in that role for Arsenal. He’s perfect for what Arsenal are doing right now.
"I wouldn’t swap him for Bruno. (Rafael) Van der Vaart at Spurs – he was better than Bruno."
Odegaard initially joined the Gunners on loan in January 2021 before completing a permanent transfer from Real Madrid last summer. The 23-year-old has enjoyed a stellar 2021/22 campaign with the north Londoners, dictating the tempo of games in a deeper role recently, helping Mikel Arteta's side up to fourth in the league table, three points clear of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur despite having a game in hand on the Lillywhites.
The Norway captain will hope he can continue his form after the ongoing international break and help Arsenal end a five-year UEFA Champions League hiatus.
