Arsenal
Reports: Player set to join Arsenal in £42m deal as Arteta closes in on key target
Martin Odegaard is set to join Arsenal in a deal worth around £42m [€50m] after Real Madrid agreed to sell the midfielder on a permanent basis this summer
Martin Odegaard is set to join Arsenal in a deal worth around £42m [€50m] after Real Madrid agreed to sell the midfielder on a permanent basis this summer, according to AS.
Odegaard enjoyed a six-month loan spell at the Emirates Stadium during the second half of last season and Arsenal have always been keen to re-sign the attacking midfielder this summer on a permanent deal.
It initially looked as though Odegaard would stay at Madrid to fight for a first team place under new boss Carlo Ancelotti so Arsenal have been looking at alternatives targets with James Maddison and Houssem Aouar linked.
However, Odegaard struggled to make an impression on Ancelotti during pre-season and hasn’t been given a squad number for this season having been left out of the Real Madrid squad for their opening game against Alaves tomorrow night.
This clear indication that he won’t be a main part of Ancelotti’s plans appears to have convinced Odegaard that his future lies away from the Bernabeu and it looks like he’ll be heading back to North London.
According to Spanish outlet AS, the 22-year-old is set to join Arsenal on a permanent deal with all parties now confident a move will be completed soon following negotiations over the past 24 hours.
The report says the deal is expected to be finalised at around £42m [€50m] after Odegaard gave the go-ahead to re-joining Arsenal. The Norwegian international knows he’s behind the likes of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Isco and Federico Valverde in the pecking order and wants regular first team football this season.
Odegaard knows he’ll get just that under Mikel Arteta as he was a central figure at Arsenal during his short loan spell and AS says Madrid are happy to cash-in as they need to bring in money to help balance the books.
Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Arsenal are set to submit their formal offer for Odegaard and the Guardian journalist says the player ‘would love’ to move back to the Emirates as he has a terrific relationship with Arteta.
Several other Spanish and British media outlets are reporting on the Odegaard to Arsenal news to it looks as though this transfer could be completed over the coming days – although Goal suggests the fee could be as low as £34m.
That would represent an excellent piece of business by Arsenal and Odegaard should prove to be a superb addition to Arteta’s squad if this proposed deal gets over the line. The Gunners are in desperate need of creativity in the final third and Odegaard fits the bill nicely.
