Martin Odegaard has formally completed his move from Real Madrid to Arsenal, who have signed the Norwegian midfielder on a five-year deal.
Arsenal have made an official statement to confirm that they have secured the services of Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid. The 22-year-old Norwegian midfielder has reportedly signed a five-year contract with the Premier League heavyweights, who have paid £30 million to land him.
Martin Odegaard is ending a disappointing six-and-a-half-year stint with Real Madrid, having first joined the Spanish giants from Stromsgodset as a prodigious 16-year-old. However, the youngster never really got an opportunity to carve out a place for himself in Los Blancos’ first-team setup, managing just 11 appearances for the club.
However, a six-month loan spell at Arsenal seemed to have finally turned his career around, with Odegaard himself initially hopeful of staking claim for a regular spot under Carlo Ancelotti. However, the Real Madrid boss soon deemed him to be surplus to requirements, which came as a major boost for Arsenal, who have been hot on his trails all summer long.
Arsenal have once again shown how much they are lacking on the creative front, with youngsters Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka the only options at Mikel Arteta’s disposal who fashion the openings in the final third regularly. As a result, the Gunners had been intent on bolstering their creative options, with the likes of James Maddison, Houssem Aouar and a few others being linked.
Welcome høme, Martin Ødegaard ??? pic.twitter.com/OUlG9YGDKj
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 20, 2021
However, Odegaard was always the priority for Arsenal, who moved quickly to reach an agreement with Real Madrid over the terms of the deal for the 22-year-old playmaker once it became clear that he had no future with the Merengues. As per those reports, it has been claimed that Odegaard, who has now formally completed his move to Arsenal, has penned a five-year contract with the north Londoners.
Further claims from Sky Sports have revealed that Arsenal have paid £30 million to Real Madrid in order to secure his services. Odegaard, though, is not available to feature for Arsenal just yet, with the Gunners waiting for regulatory processes and visa clearance before they can bring an end to this transfer saga, meaning the Norwegian midfielder is not available for the game against Chelsea this weekend.
Nevertheless, Arsenal have gone a long way in solving some of their issues and it will be interesting to see if Odegaard can finally flourish at club level after ending his frustrations at Real Madrid.
