Arsenal have failed to beat Liverpool in their last six matches in all competitions and did not manage to score in any of those fixtures.
The north London club will be hoping to end this poor run when they face the Reds in the league on October 9th.
After losing 3-0 to Liverpool at the Emirates in April 2021, Jürgen Klopp had a chat with Martin Ødegaard, who was then on loan to Arsenal from Real Madrid. Later that year, Mikel Arteta’s side bought the 22-year-old from the La Liga winners.
Reports in the UK had then suggested the Liverpool manager, who wanted the Norway international at Borussia Dortmund, was trying to lure the midfielder to Anfield. Klopp has now opened up about this incident while speaking to the Norwegian media.
“I really like him. It’s easy these days. It was a bit more difficult at the start of his career when he was at Real Madrid. Then it looked like it might not go his way. I was really disappointed by that, because we wanted him in Dortmund when he was very young,” he told TV2.
“We had a long conversation when he was still a boy, together with his father. In the end he decided on Madrid, and that’s fine, but that’s why I’ve always followed him.”
Ødegaard failed to establish himself at Real Madrid, which saw him go out on loan, before joining Arsenal on a permanent transfer in the summer of 2021. The Liverpool boss is now delighted with the how the player has overcome difficulties with Arteta’s side.
“It is very, very impressive. You can only imagine how many talents, huge talents, ‘crazy’ talents, I have seen over the course of quite a while in this industry. At the time, Martin was 15 years old and already playing in Norway. The whole world went berserk,” Klopp said.
“Until he was 15, he probably experienced no hardship. After that, a lot of things went against him. It makes him the person he is now, the man he is now, and the player he is now.
“I’m really happy that he has now become the player we all expected him to become. In fact, even better than that, if you will. He plays a massive role in an incredibly strong Arsenal team.”
“He’s still young, clear in his head, very influential. I honestly can’t say anything negative about him. Really a top player.”
