Former Arsenal defender Lauren has hailed Gunners skipper Martin Odegaard as a potential Ballon d’Or winner in the future.
Mikel Arteta’s side have been enjoying a phenomenal season this time around and Odegaard has been very much at the center of everything.
The Norwegian has played a pivotal role for the Gunners this season, who are leading the Premier League table. The playmaker has been the lynchpin of Arteta’s side, acting as the primary source of creativity.
Lauren, who was a part of the invincible Arsenal side in 2003-04, has claimed that Martin Odegaard could be worth £200 million if he can continue his stunning rise to the top.
The former Cameroon international has also backed the Arsenal captain to compete for individual awards like Ballon d’Or in the near future. The 46-year-old told FairBettingSites:
“Odegaard was not a cheap player, but he has been great and still has more to show. If he continues to improve, he can be a £100m or £200m player in the future.”
Lauren further said:
“I can see Odegaard compete for the top individual awards such as the Ballon d’Or, the performances of the team are helping him to grow.”
“In the future, if Arsenal win the Premier League, then perform well in the Champions League next season, I believe Odegaard will be among the best in the world.”
Odegaard initially joined the Gunners on loan in the second half of the 2020-21 season before they made the deal permanent in the summer of 2021.
Eyebrows were raised when Mikel Arteta handed him the armband after the departure of Alexandre Lacazette in the summer but the young midfielder has thrived under the responsibility. The Norwegian playmaker has scored eight goals and provided six assists in 18 Premier League games this season.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink makes interesting claim on Arsenal-Manchester City title race
Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has claimed that Manchester City are still the favorites in the title race ahead of the Gunners.
However, the Dutchman has admitted that the Gunners are close to changing his mind. He told SafeBettingSites:
“Arsenal are doing so well and they keep on surprising me. They’re doing great and playing really good football but I do think they’re going to have a bad time of maybe two or three losses and then we’ll see how they react.”
“My favourites are still Manchester City but I’m getting closer and closer to saying that perhaps it is going to be Arsènal’s year.”