Martin Odegaard has been singing the praises of his former Real Sociedad teammate Alexander Isak. The Swede, now at Newcastle United, played alongside the Arsenal captain for one season in Spain and the duo struck up a strong relationship on the pitch.
For the last few years however, they have been opponents with it fair to say Isak has enjoyed more success than Odegaard.
Just this season, Newcastle have beaten Arsenal three times with the aggregate score being 5-0, while Isak was on target in two of those games.
Prior to that, Odegaard found the back of the net in a 2-0 win at St James' Park while also helping his side secure a 4-1 triumph the following year at Emirates Stadium. While representing Norway, Erling Haaland of Manchester City is another elite-level striker that Odegaard has linked up with.
Haaland broke records during his first two campaigns in the Premier League but has struggled this season while Isak has improved his overall game in the last few months.
With that in mind, it's understandable he could not choose between the two when asked which one is better.
“Both are good in and around the box and score a lot of goals," he told Fotboll Skanalen, via Sport Witness. "They are a little different in their style of play, but both are dangerous goal scorers.
“I have been lucky enough to play with both of them and found it enjoyable. If you look at what Erling has done and the records, he sets all the time, it speaks for itself. But it is clear that Isak has had a very good season and is a fantastic player.”
However, one is far more likely to join Odegaard at Arsenal than the other, as Haaland has recently signed a bumper new contract while Isak has been strongly linked to an Emirates Stadium switch for the last few trading periods.
Arsenal are in the market for a striker and though the 25-year-old will be high up on their list of targets, likely alongside RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, Newcastle are sure to demand a significant fee to sanction an exit.
Isak was recently quizzed on his future and his response was an expected one. "There’s not much to say, really. I’ve commented on my situation and my security in Newcastle several times," he admitted to fotbollskanalen.
"It’s been written how much I love the city and the club, how well I feel there. I’m not thinking about the future. I just want to perform for Newcastle.
"Now we won the cup, but we want to finish strong and reach the Champions League games. That’s where my focus lies. There is no reason for me to think about anything else (other than Newcastle).
"I am enjoying myself incredibly well at Newcastle. The only focus I have is on playing."