“Maybe the best ever from Norway!” - Manchester City midfielder snubs Erling Haaland as he suggests Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is better

Manchester City midfielder Sverre Nypan has named Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard as the best player from Norway ahead of striker Erling Haaland. He is delighted with the comparisons with the former Real Madrid midfielder, but does not see him reaching the same heights.

Speaking to Teeside Live, Nypan said that he grew up watching Odegaard, but does not see himself as the heir to the Arsenal captain's role. He claimed that they have different styles, and said while heaping praise on the Norwegian:

“I won’t sit there and say that it’s not a nice comparison [Odegaard] because it’s an honour to be compared to a great player like that. Maybe the best ever from Norway! So it’s great to get the comparison, but we are we are not the same player. For me, we’re quite opposite. We are maybe in a similar type of area in the midfield, but the playing style is different. I won’t grow up to be a Martin Odegaard, that’s for sure.”

Nypan was linked with Arsenal and Aston Villa this year, but moved to Manchester City. The Gunners were in advanced talks with the teenager this year, but failed to reach an agreement.

Manchester City agreed a £12.5 million fee for Nypan, who penned a deal until 2030 after agreeing terms with the Cityzens. He has now joined Middlesbrough on loan for the season.

Manchester City loanee sees Arsenal captain as his role model

Manchester City loanee Sverre Nypan admitted that he sees Martine Odegaard as his role model. He is learning from the Arsenal captain's ups and downs in his career, and said:

"I haven't had no contact with him [Odegaard], but I remember when he came through, it was around 2015, and I was a young player. He obviously became a role model for a lot of Norwegians at that time. And you can also see that he didn't go right up to Arsenal. He had some ups and downs. So you just see that a player of that quality, also has some ups and downs. You just have to learn from everyone and try to replicate what they have done."

Sverre Nypan is yet to make his debut for the national team, having played just six matches for the U21 side. He has 70 matches for the Rosenborg BK first-team under his belt, and has now featured twice for Middlesbrough in the Championship.