Mikel Arteta made arguably his finest signing for Arsenal back in January 2021 as the club announced they had signed Real Madrid player Martin Odegaard on loan for the rest of the season.

After a solid loan spell, the North London side made the deal permanent that summer and he hasn’t looked back since, becoming an integral part of the Arsenal midfield as they chase their first Premier League title in 19 years.

Are Arsenal about to sign their next Odegaard however?

Well, according to Jeunex Footex, the club are reportedly set to battle it out with Manchester United over Norwegian talent Sivert Mannsverk, who currently plays for Molde.

The report states that the young midfielder could be available for as little as £9m and with Arteta aiming to add more youth into the first-team squad, the 20-year-old Mannsverk could be a shrewd investment.

He started his career at Norweigan side Sogndal – managed by former Premier League striker Tore Andre Flo – making 54 appearances for them while registering 12 goal contributions, an excellent return for a young central midfielder making his way through the professional ranks.

These performances earned him the move to Molde, making 62 appearances so far while chipping in with five goals, with three coming in the Europa League Conference qualifiers earlier this season.

Over 25 league matches this season, Mannsverk has shown his class. He has an average rating of 7.02 and he clearly likes to control possession, taking 62.8 touches on average per match.

The 20-year-old has proved he can be a threat going forward, making 0.7 key passes, creating three big chances, and succeeding with an incredible 79% of his dribbles, offering an attacking threat from the heart of the midfield.

Although he plays slightly deeper than Odegaard, Mannsverk still has the capabilities that could allow him to create plenty of chances for teammates if he joined Arsenal. Arteta’s usual midfield of Odegaard, Thomas Partey, and Granit Xhaka has worked wonders this season, but there is a distinct lack of depth.

The Norwegian could certainly go on to have the same impact that Odegaard has had at the club over the previous 18 months and his influence may well be crucial in Arsenal completing a move for the Molde sensation next month.