Arsenal Loan for Martin Odegaard Would be Smart January Business

Arsenal bringing in Martin Odegaard on a six-month loan deal this January transfer window would solve an issue that won’t be permanently resolved until the summer.

The need for an extra body in attacking midfield will only be truly hammered home should injury strike Emile Smith Rowe. Touch wood such a fate doesn’t befall both him and the club.

Between now and the end of the season, Arsenal could play a maximum of 35 matches, a figure that is a huge load to bestow on a 20-year-old whose breakthrough into the senior side this term only arrived on Boxing Day.

Isco has been mentioned coming from Real Madrid but the deal doesn’t make much sense even if he arrives solely as a backup option to Smith Rowe. A player is needed in this position and as Smith Rowe continues to prove he’s already nailing down that spot long-term, trawling around the market for a viable option who is good enough to fill-in, hungry to succeed and has a point to prove, few options are as wise as Martin Odegaard.

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Martin Odegaard wants to leave Real Madrid on loan this January transfer window, why not Arsenal?

As per AS, the Norwegian has requested to leave Madrid on loan this window to accumulate first-team minutes, with his omission from the squad to face Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Real Sociedad, where Odegaard sparkled last term on a season-long loan spell, are the most likely candidates to secure his temporary signing, although Los Blancos may feel less keen on the idea this time around given the two club’s close standings in the league table.

Playing just five minutes of La Liga action since the turn of the year, Zinedine Zidane is expected to grant him the freedom to depart on loan.

If someone is going to come in this window on a short-term basis and provide cover for Smith Rowe, it needs the be the right profile – one that has dwindled to near non-existence given the 20-year-old’s form, asking prices across the continent and the difficulty of the market.

Prizing him away from Los Blancos wouldn’t be impossible, nor would it be easy. Arsenal do have priors with the club though, currently boasting none other than Dani Ceballos on his second loan stint in London.

Why Martin Odegaard is a Different Option for Arsenal Than Isco

Arsenal need bodies in that area of the pitch and as it grows so unlikely to the point of impossible that they’ll stump up money (they don’t have) this window on a long-term option, temporary signings become the obvious choice.

Isco’s time among Europe’s elite is over, whereas Odegaard’s is only just beginning. His 16 goal contributions for Real Sociedad last season was the closest the world has come to seeing his full potential, and in the right environment he will only continue to reach closer to his ceiling. His tail off in the second half of the campaign coincided with La Real’s overall drop in form.

Wage-wise it’s also kinder on Arsenal, with the difference between the two thought to be in the region of £40k-per-week. What deal Madrid would sanction financially is hypothetical at this stage, but Ceballos’ second spell at the club came without a loan fee and instead saw Arsenal pay his full wages.

Desperate to play football and succeed wherever he may be – one can expect that to be Madrid – Odegaard would arrive hungrier than his fellow teammate. He has a point to prove to the world that was infatuated with his 16-year-old self, thus the drive would undoubtedly be there.

It’s speculation to delve into how either would adapt to Premier League football, therefore the above does aid the discussion over who would be a greater asset. If, and it’s very likely, either of the two joined and failed, you’d rather have the Norwegian with a score to settle battling his way into form.

Martin Odegaard Suits Arsenal

Almost exclusively a No. 10-type attacking midfielder for Madrid, Odegaard has dabbled in central midfield before, primarily last season, an area he’s shown himself to be comfortable in. Operating as a No. 8 on the left side of a 4-3-3, his ability in tight spaces, solid work-rate off the ball and chance creation statistics highlighted his effectiveness.

It’s hard to avoid the similarities between the two, as Odegaard is also someone who does a lot of his offensive work in wide areas. Positionally, Arteta’s system suits him perfectly, so, in essence, why not?

Of course, bringing him in under the pretense of playing every week would be unethical. On this form, riding the wave he is, Smith Rowe plays in the biggest games. There are plenty of those, not least in the Europa League knockouts, thus convincing Odegaard to make the move knowing he isn’t first choice would be no easy feat.

Smith Rowe’s place in the side isn’t under threat, which he’ll be aware of, so acquiring a target who won’t disrupt the status quo is what’s needed. Odegaard needs minutes wherever he can get them, and while he won’t earn them every week at Arsenal, it’ll be more than he’s accumulating now. Between them they can help each other.

Signing another young talent whose career is still yet to fully take off is more viable than an established name in world football who will arrive on big wages. Should the 22-year-old rekindle the form he showed last season then he’d be a superb addition to Mikel Arteta‘s squad on a short-term deal.

As per Charles Watts, there are no indications at present that Arsenal are moving for Odegaard. It’s a narrative being peddled by fans eager for additions. And, given the options available, perhaps the wisest one.