Neville names the only Arsenal star Guardiola would take at Man City; De Bruyne, Silva comparison made
Gary Neville, Sky Sports pundit at Wembley Stadium
Gary Neville believes that Pep Guardiola would love to sign Arsenal attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard if he had the opportunity to do so.
The Norway international left Real Madrid to sign for the Gunners on loan in 2021, before joining permanently the following year, and he has been key to their recent success.
Odegaard was handed the Arsenal captain’s armband by Mikel Arteta at the start of last season. He went on to score 15 goals in the Premier League last term, as well as making eight assists.
The 24-year-old has started this season well, too, netting twice in five league games so far. Arsenal currently sit in joint-second place in the table after winning four and drawing one of their five opening games.
Manchester City have started impeccably, though. Guardiola’s team are the only team to have won all five of their league fixtures so far and are two points clear at the top.
Despite this, there is one player that Neville thinks Guardiola would definitely take from Arsenal to Man City if the manager got the chance.
READ MORE: Alan Shearer asks Mikel Arteta whether Arsenal striker is ‘elite’ enough to start every week
Neville: Odegaard is ‘smooth and silky’
Speaking on his Sky Sports podcast when asked which players had impressed him the most so far this season, Neville said: “Odegaard, I’m not saying he’s as good as David Silva or Kevin De Bruyne yet, he’s got a bit to go in his career.
“But it’s getting to a point now whereby when I watch him play, it is so smooth and so silky.
“I knew he was always a talented player. But we’re now talking about something very different than just talented – this is real class.
“Pep Guardiola, I think, if you said take one player out of this Arsenal team, I think he’d take him in an absolute heartbeat.
“He would absolutely break into that Man City team because he’s a beautiful player to watch. Every time I watch him he gets better and better.”
Odegaard can certainly be described as a ‘class’ player and still has time to get even better still. But there is almost zero chance that Odegaard will be joining Man City any time soon.
As previously reported by TEAMtalk, the Gunners are close to tying the Norwegian star down to a new contract, so he should remain at the Emirates for the forseeable future.
Odegaard will hope to help end Arsenal’s 20-year wait for a league title this season.
