Mikel Arteta got the last laugh after Real Madrid were left furious over Martin Odegaard

When sold to almost four years ago, they never envisioned he would return to haunt them quite so conclusively.

Not only did the 26-year-old captain the Gunners to a frankly one-sided win at the Emirates, but he played a pivotal role in turning 's men over in front of their own fans on Wednesday. The holders exited the competition's quarter-final stage with a whimper, while Odegaard now has a chance to make history at the Emirates.

But that dream-like storyline might have never come to pass were it not for the machinations of . Having been impressed with what he saw of the player on loan at one of his old clubs, Real Sociedad, Arteta ensured he was next in line to take the midfielder on a temporary basis.

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And therein began the sequence of events that would one day lead to Arsenal's chief orchestrator leaving the Bernabeu in awe – just not how the home fans might have liked.

It didn't take long for the Norwegian to realise he was onto a good thing in north London. And after years of loans at Heerenveen, Vitesse and Real Sociedad, Odegaard reportedly when it emerged early on in his Arsenal loan that he was open to joining the Gunners on a permanent basis.

It perhaps wasn't the fact their player had hinted at the move, but more so that he had done so soon after leaving that left his parent club seething. Odegaard eventually completed a permanent switch in the summer of 2021 for a fee worth up to £35million, which was undoubtedly far less than Real may have once thought they'd get for a player once tipped as the next world-beater.

academy graduate Arteta was thoroughly impressed by his new signing soon after he first joined. And the Spanish tactician did his utmost to maximise Arsenal's chances of signing the playmaker on permanent terms as he poured praise on the player soon after his arrival.

"Well, he's got the potential [to be one of the best]. I followed him very closely when he was at Real Sociedad and he was really impressive over there for long periods," said Arteta of Odegaard just weeks after he moved to the Emirates. "He had a really successful season over there and that's one of the reasons why I was so convinced that he's a player for us.

"He's a player that I really like and, as you say, still has huge potential to become even better. All positive from my first conversations with him. He's a really focused and humble boy that was really keen to join.

"He's a really nice guy, the players like him, the staff like him, he's easy going, a really hard worker and I've been very impressed with his leadership. He looks a little bit calm but on the pitch he's got something about him."

It's little wonder Odegaard was keen on extending their working relationship when his boss was so forthcoming with the compliments. And as well as consistent first-team football at a top club, that recognition is one of the main things the player will have sought at a time in his career when he was likely on the lookout for a place he could truly call home.

In an ideal , that location probably would have been Madrid considering former wonderkid Odegaard chose Real above all other world-class suitors who wanted his signature at the age of 16. But he ended up making just eight senior appearances for Los Blancos and was never quite trusted enough to get his chance in the club's iconic white.

Real's loss proved to be the Gunners' gain as Odegaard has not just impressed but surpassed all expectations during his stay in north London. It took barely one year for the Norway captain to also be given the armband at club level, which preceded back-to-back Player of the Year awards in 2023 and 2024.

The jury may still be out on whether Odegaard meets the "world-beater" criteria – most Arsenal fans will tell you he does – but beating Real is no small consolation. And not just once but twice, devastating Ancelotti's reigning champions home and away, with Odegaard both literally and figuratively at the centre of it all.

What Los Blancos would give for a player of his specifications today, with Luka Modric ebbing towards retirement and showing signs he is human after all. Not that it will matter much to Arteta, who has succeeded in ensuring Odegaard fulfils his potential and landed a personal triumph over old rivals Real in the process. It is now just Paris Saint-Germain who stand between Arsenal and a place in the Champions League final.

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