Arsenal struck gold on “wizard” worth way more than Maddison & Son combined

Arsenal have endured an interesting start to their Premier League campaign this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at home, came away from Villa Park with all three points, and then looked on target to make it three from three against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

However, a second yellow for Declan Rice put the Gunners under immense pressure, and they were forced to settle for a single point, but with 35 games to go, there is plenty of time to recover.

Moreover, with the North London Derby the next game on the horizon, Arteta’s side have the perfect opportunity to bounce back, and considering one of the club’s most important players is worth more than James Maddison and Son Heung-min combined, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see them win a third match in a row at Spurs.

Maddison and Son’s valuation in 2024

So, after spending a considerable amount of time in the Midlands playing for Leicester City, Maddison joined Spurs for £40m last summer, and it would be fair to say that he endured a mixed campaign in North London.

For example, in his first 11 league games for the club, he scored three goals and provided five assists, equating to a goal involvement once every 1.37 games, but after coming back from the ankle injury he sustained in that 11th match, he could only muster one goal and four assists in his final 17 league appearances, equating to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 3.4 games.

This middling season from a player expected to help take the North Londoners to the next level has understandably impacted his valuation, with Football Transfers now pricing him at around €28m, which is about £24m, or £16m less than he cost last summer.

On the other hand, Son had a barnstorming year for Postecoglou in 23/24 and proved that while he’s getting older, he can still be just as effective in attack.

For example, in his 36 appearances for the Lilywhites, the South Korean superstar scored 17 goals and provided ten assists, meaning he managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement once every 1.33 games, which was also unsurprisingly enough to make him the club’s most productive player.

However, while he was incredible, the fact he’s 32 and has just a year remaining on his contract has clearly impacted his valuation, with Football Transfers pricing him at just €28m – £24m – as well, which means that even when combined with Maddison, the pair have a lower valuation than one of the Gunners’ most important players.

Martin Odegaard’s valuation in 2024

Yes, the Arsenal star in question is captain fantastic himself, Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian wonderkid first joined the Gunners on a six-month loan spell in January 2021, and while he didn’t blow anyone’s socks off with his performances, he impressed Arteta and Edu, who brought him back in August of the same year for a fee that’s sure to hit £34m with add-ons.

Since his move was made permanent, the former Real Madrid prospect has gone from strength to strength in N5, and while there was a discussion among the fanbase in 2021 about whether the club should sign him or Maddison, you’d be hard-pressed to find a fan who’d swap the 25-year-old for the Spurs ace today.

In all, the midfield “wizard”, as dubbed by former footballer Babayele Sodade, has scored 35 goals and provided 25 assists in just 156 appearances for the Red side of North London, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.6 games.

However, he was particularly impressive last season, racking up 11 goals and 11 assists in 48 matches, meaning he maintained an even more impressive average of a goal involvement once every 2.18 games.

So, with an impressive track record in England and a trajectory suggesting he’s only going to keep getting better, it should come as no surprise to see his valuation has increased as well, with Football Transfers now pricing the Norwegian at around €74m, which converts to about £62m, or £14m more than Maddison and Son combined.

Ultimately, while there were a few question marks around Odegaard when he moved to Arsenal over three years ago, there can be no doubt that his transfer has been a roaring success and that he’s now one of the first names on the teamsheet for Arteta.