‘Martin Odegaard’s wonderkid hype is starting to be justified’, talkSPORT told as new Arsenal signing is given Mesut Ozil’s old shirt number

Arsenal are getting a ‘special player with a point to prove’ in Martin Odegaard, who has joined the Premier League club on loan from Real Madrid.

The deal for the 22-year-old Norwegian was formerly announced on Wednesday morning, with Odegaard given Mesut Ozil’s old number 11 shirt.

Much has already been said about Odegaard and his early career, having joined Real Madrid at the age of 16 after his emergence as one of Europe’s brightest prospects in his native Norway.

It hasn’t worked out for him at the Bernabeu, though, and joins Arsenal having struggled for regular minutes this season after being recalled to the team by manager Zinedine Zidane.

But fans did get a glimpse of his talent during a productive spell on loan at Spanish side Real Sociedad last term, where he managed seven goals and nine assists in 36 games.

He was even hailed as ‘the best player in LaLiga’ for the first-half of the last campaign.

Real Madrid correspondent and Arsenal fan Alex Kirkland joined talkSPORT this week to reveal the kind of player the Gunners are getting, claiming the ‘wonderkid’ hype from his early career is finally coming to fruition.

And he said signing him is a ‘great’ bit of business by the London club.

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“I think Arsenal are getting a very, very talented player, and a player who is ready to take the next step and move up to the next level,” he told talkSPORT host Jim White.

“He’s got something to prove this season, especially as it hasn't quite worked out for him at Real Madrid. He’s got a point to prove.

“I think it’s good for the player and it’s a great deal for Arsenal. In the circumstances it’s pretty much as good a signing as they reasonably can be expected to make in this position.

“His preferred position is a number ten and he is incredibly talented, really creative, really quick in terms of quick thinking, execution and passing, good range of passing as well.

“He’s a very special player. We’ve known that he’s incredibly talented for a long time, when you think back to all the fuss when Real Madrid signed him at the age of 16 back in 2015.

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“He was probably the best prospect for his age in all of Europe, at that time. It has been a little bit upland down since then, but what we’ve seen certainly in the three seasons before this season is a steady progression.

“He’s been getting better and better, to the point where last season on loan at Real Sociedad for the first part of the season he was arguably the best player in LaLiga

“We saw enough from him last season to say that all the hype around him is finally starting to be justified.”