Cristiano Ronaldo’s prediction about former Real Madrid teammate Martin Odegaard is finally starting to come to fruition. The Norwegian midfielder joined the Spanish giants as a 16-year-old in 2015 but struggled to establish himself at the Bernabeu; before eventually joining Arsenal on loan in last year’s January transfer window.
He signed a permanent deal with the Gunners last summer and has been a key figure in their push for a top four finish this season, scoring six goals and registering four assists in the Premier League. And his impact on Arsenal’s campaign has been further highlighted by some impressive statistics.
With the 23-year-old has notching 6.3 xA (expected assists), 122 shot-creating actions and 67 key passes, as per fbref . Odegaard joined Mikel Arteta’s side for just £30million and is starting to realise his potential and prove Manchester United star Ronaldo right.
READ MORE: United have to try Ronaldo wildcard solution
In an interview with BT Sport in 2015, Ronaldo was asked to list five players who he thought would go on to become stars. "You see many players with potential," he replied.
"I will mention Martin Odegaard of Madrid for example, at 16 he's still young but you can see he's a very good player. He's a great player, I think he's a young boy, he can still grow. He has a good future ahead.
"We must give him time to learn, to take his best decisions. But I see a lot of potential in the player, he has got a good left foot."
