Arsenal
Solbakken backs move as Arsenal prepare formal offer to sign 22-year-old star
Norway boss Stale Solbakken has backed Martin Odegaard to join Arsenal as the Gunners prepare to table a formal offer to sign the Real Madrid playmaker
Norway manager Stale Solbakken has backed Martin Odegaard to join Arsenal as the Gunners prepare to table a formal offer to sign the Real Madrid playmaker, according to football.london.
Odegaard has struggled to establish himself at Madrid since joining the club from Stromsgodset in 2015 and he spent the second half of last season enjoying a loan spell in the Premier League at Arsenal.
The 22-year-old returned to the Bernabeu this summer with the hope of winning over new boss Carlo Ancelotti but he was left out of the entire squad for Real Madrid’s win over Alaves on the opening weekend of the new season.
Odegaard hasn’t been registered in the Madrid squad for the upcoming campaign and hasn’t been given a shirt number so understandably the playmaker feels he needs to leave the club in search of regular first team football.
Mikel Arteta is desperate to take Odegaard back to Arsenal and football.london says the Gunners are set to table a formal offer for the Norwegian international after he signalled his intent to leave Madrid this month.
Reports over the weekend suggested that Odegaard’s agent has travelled to London to finalise a move to the Emirates with the youngster expected to join the North Londoners on a season long loan with Arsenal also having first refusal to make the deal permanent for £30m next summer.
Odegaard’s international manager, Stale Solbakken, has now had his say on the players future and suggested that it was a ‘clear signal’ to the attacking midfielder when he was left out of the Real Madrid squad at the weekend.
Solbakken also suggested that a move to Arsenal would be good for the player. When asked whether the chance to join Arsenal is a good opportunity for Odegaard, Solbakken told Aftenposten:
“I’m sure it is. He has many opportunities, many who want him. So, he, his representatives and his family will find out.
“He has been very good at picking out the right clubs in the past.”
Arsenal desperately need to add more creativity to the squad before the transfer window closes and Odegaard has been one of Arteta’s key targets so he’ll be praying the club can get an agreement in place with Madrid.
If Odegaard does end up re-joining Arsenal he’ll become their fourth major signing of the summer following the arrivals of Nuno Tavares, Albert Lokonga and Ben White. However, Arteta is tipped to be active during the final weeks of the window with a new goalkeeper and striker also on the agenda.
