Arsenal star Odegaard names the two best defenders he has played against

Arsenal star Martin Odegaard has named Sergio Ramos and Virgil van Dijk as the two best defenders he has played against in his relatively young career.

Martin Odegaard faced Sergio Ramos when he played for Real Sociedad in La Liga and came up against Van Dijk whilst on international duty with Norway. The 22-year-old Arsenal star said:

"That’s a hard one, of course I have to mention Sergio Ramos, I played against him a couple of times in Spain. Also Virgil van Dijk, I played against him with the national team, so I would say those two maybe. They were tough."

Arsenal currently boast an exciting young squad under the management of Mikel Arteta. Martin Odegaard has expressed his excitement for the future and hopes to be a real force once this squad gradually improves over time.

Odegaard added:

"I’m positive for the future, we have a young group, I think one of the youngest teams in the league and I think with time we will get better and better. We are already a strong side, and although we are young, we already have a lot of experience and hopefully in the future we will improve even more."

Martin Odegaard joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in the summer for around €35 million. The Norwegian international spent six months on loan at the Emirates Stadium last season.

Despite his relatively young age, Odegaard has played top level football in Spain, England and the Netherlands. The Arsenal midfielder has also represented his national team on 37 occasions.

Martin Odegaard has had a slow start to the new season for Arsenal. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder has made 11 appearances for the Gunners and has scored just once so far.

Arsenal have found their feet in the Premier League after suffering three consecutive defeats at the start of the season. The Gunners are currently unbeaten in eight games, winning six and drawing twice.

This rich vein of form has helped Arsenal move up to fifth in the standings, above the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners currently have 20 points from their first 11 games.

Arsenal have one of the most exciting squads in the Premier League. The Gunners possess some of the best young talents in the land, including the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.

Arsenal spent big money in the summer transfer window to sign the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu. All of their new recruits are 23-year-old or younger.