Real Madrid starlet Martin Odegaard, who is currently on loan at Arsenal, is reportedly wanted on a permanent deal by the Premier League giants.
According to a report from the Daily Mail, Arsenal are hoping to sign Real Madrid loanee Martin Odegaard on a permanent basis in the summer transfer window or get his temporary spell extended by another year.
The 22-year-old Norwegian sensation has been with Real Madrid since 2015, when the Merengues poached him from Stromsgodset when he was still aged 16. Having spent the early years of his spell in Spain with Real Madrid’s Castilla outfit, Odegaard was not able to make the jump to the first-team.
The attacking midfielder had a couple of loan stints away at Heerenveen and Vitesse Arnhem. However, it was the 2019/20 campaign when he enjoyed his major breakthrough as he established himself as one of the most exciting players while on loan at Real Sociedad.
Back in Madrid at the start of the season, Odegaard once again found it hard to nail down a starting berth under Zinedine Zidane and ended up joining Arsenal on loan midway through the campaign. Since arriving at the Emirates, the 22-year-old has slowly started to hit his strides, gradually growing into a key player for the Gunners.
Odegaard, so far, has made 10 appearances for Arsenal since arriving, managing two goals, one of which came in the 2-1 win over arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby last weekend. Having been left impressed by the young Norwegian’s exploits, manager Mikel Arteta has his heart set on extending his stay at the Emirates.
Indeed, Arsenal are now keen on making sure that Odegaard stays with the club beyond the ongoing campaign. To that end, they will hold negotiations with Real Madrid at the end of the season, over the possibility of signing the 22-year-old on a permanent deal while they would also be open for another season on loan.
The report goes on to add that Real Madrid would not stand in the way of a permanent transfer for Odegaard as they need the finances to fund a big-money move for top targets Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland in the summer. It has previously been reported that the Spanish champions are likely to demand €80 million for his services.
Such a transfer fee could prove to be prohibitive for Arsenal, especially if they miss out on European football next season. So, it now remains to be seen if they pursue with their attempt to bring in Odegaard on a permanent basis or explore another loan deal for the Norwegian international.