Arsenal facing Martin Odegaard transfer u-turn at Real Madrid

Arsenal, and everyone associated with the club, want to sign Martin Odegaard on a permanent deal from Real Madrid in the summer. There has, however, been a twist in the tale.

Watching the Norwegian hit the deck and proceed to punch the turf for his country in their World Cup qualifier victory over Gibraltar, the outpouring of anguish was a telling sign. The 22-year-old has only played 12 times for the Gunners on loan but he already feels like one of our own.

Suffering a twisted ankle and being forced to come off at half-time, the midfielder’s importance to Arsenal became clear despite him donning a very different shade of red.

Undroppable on current form, he still has the chance to achieve historic success in north London before his temporary switch concludes as Arsenal eye a return to the Champions League by lifting the Europa League title.

Arsenal facing Martin Odegaard transfer u-turn at Real Madrid as La Liga side refuse to sell and Norwegian wants to stay in Spain

If they are to do so then Martin Odegaard will doubtlessly play an integral role. What’s worrying, however, is whether he’ll be around or not to taste the fruits of that labour, or if he’ll be back to give a return to Europe’s elite another crack via the Premier League.

He’s noticeably happy in north London, regularly speaking about how ‘at home’ he’s felt; sentiments echoed by his teammates who have praised his attitude, while Mikel Arteta lavishes him with praise at every opportunity. It’s evident what the club want.

If Arsenal are to prise him from Real Madrid‘s clutches it won’t come cheap. Figures up to £50m have been mooted, so to has another loan deal which would be a risky move on the Spanish club’s part.

However, they may not need to worry about convincing him, as the reports coming out of Spain put a colossal spanner in the works.

Zinedine Zidane is the manager who hasn’t given Odegaard the minutes he’s been seeking, but the future goals of the midfielder have remained unmoved by the Frenchman still keeping his place in the Madrid hotseat.

His mind may have already been made up.

Martin Odegaard Wants to Succeed at Real Madrid

It’s not the news any supporter wants to hear. As per Marca, the famously Madrid-centric outlet, Odegaard still has every intention of remaining at Santiago Bernabeu and being an integral part of the club in the future.

He believes and feels that his rightful place is in the Madrid midfield, with his parent club continuing to give him confidence of that coming to fruition despite the less than ideal start to the campaign. While Zidane didn’t transfer that confidence as well as Arteta, Odegaard still has the goal of being a success with Los Blancos. If that is the case, you can’t blame him whatsoever.

That doesn’t mean he won’t assess his options in the summer, and he is very happy with the Gunners, but he will see what Zidane – or whoever is in charge of the side – wants from him next season. He is firm in being a cornerstone of the Madrid side.

A rumoured fractured relationship between Zidane and Odegaard won’t be too far of the mark. However, as long as the Norway captain is playing regularly for the club then his desires will be met, which is a u-turn on previous reports which stated he did not want to play under Zidane.

Furthermore, Madrid have no intention of selling. Arsenal are pining for another season, at least, with Odegaard, something that is out of their hands if the Spanish outfit don’t budge.

Aiming for Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe in the summer, they will need to sell to buy, which does open up the possibility of Arsenal making a move for Odegaard. Likewise, Gareth Bale returning on his astronomical wages won’t help the tight financial situation Zidane’s side face.

Being so close to Madrid, Marca may well be stirring the pot. Equally, they may have the inside scoop. It’s often hard to tell. This saga won’t be cut and dry though, and will endure plenty of twists and turns before the end.