Arsenal suffer major Martin Odegaard transfer blow from Real Madrid

Real Madrid Want to Keep Martin Odegaard After His Arsenal Loan

The noises coming out of Spain are not surprising. Just as fans become smitten with the displays Odegaard has produced, Madrid are lapping up the form he’s shown with regular minutes under his belt.

Marca report that Madrid ‘believe that he has a big part to play in their midfield in the future’.

With just 11 Los Blancos appearances to his name since joining from Strømsgodset in 2014, Odegaard is now on his fifth loan spell away from the club.

Having not seen him in full flow while donning the Madrid white, this latest spell is the club’s biggest indicator yet that he’s prepared to make his mark at Santiago Bernabeu. Furthermore, it’s added that he had been suffering from tendinitis in his knee, an issue that he was dealing with over the summer and only fully recovered from a few weeks ago.

All of this talk is expected and even inevitably going to ramp up as Odegaard earns more minutes and increases his physical strength. Yet what plays in Arsenal’s favour is the previously mentioned unwillingness Odegaard has to ever play for Madrid while Zidane remains at the helm.

Said to have ‘no intention’ of going back while the Frenchman leads the team, that aspect will still have a big role to play in determining his long-term future.

From a purely visual standpoint, Odegaard is playing with a smile on his face at Arsenal and clearly loving life under Arteta. Only at the club since January 27, his celebration in the last-gasp 3-2 win over Benfica was indicative of someone who feels well settled and emotionally attached. Yes, a professional should embrace his surroundings and give his all to whichever team he plays for, but he didn’t cut the figure of someone who wasn’t embracing the challenge presented to him.

As will be the case until the end of the season, enjoy his presence while it lasts. It may be short-lived.