‘Odegaard is a baller – but I’d be surprised if Arsenal signed him’

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 4 min read

Arsenal have been told that they have their work cut out if they were to sign Martin Odegaard on a permanent basis from Real Madrid.

The playmaker arrived at the Emirates Stadium on a half-season loan deal from Los Blancos in January.

READ MORE: Real Madrid players on loan: How Bale, Odegaard and Co. are performing

Since joining the north London side, Odegaard has established himself as an important member of the first team and was notably on target during last week’s 1-1 Europa League draw away to Olympiacos. The vicious strike from outside the box was his first goal for the club.

He joined the Gunners after a difficult first half of the season at Real Madrid, where he struggled to win the trust of head coach Zinedine Zidane.

Despite question marks hanging over his ability to impose himself at the Bernabeu, Odegaard’s future will not necessarily be with Arsenal, according to one pundit.

Andrew Cole, who was a youth player at Arsenal but later found fame at Newcastle and Manchester United, believes the Gunners face a difficult challenge to keep the Norway international beyond this season.

“Odegaard is a baller. He’s technically very, very gifted,” the former striker told Talksport. “There’s talk of Arsenal trying to bring him to the Emirates on a permanent deal in the summer. I would be surprised.

“He’s had a few issues with Zidane. But Real Madrid aren’t sure if Zidane will be there next season, so that’ll be interesting. The Arsenal fans love Odegaard.”

Arsenal’s record with Odegaard

Will Arsenal sign Odegaard?

Odegaard’s increasing prominence with Arsenal has led the Gunners on a strong run of form. Indeed, they have lost only one of their last eight fixtures in all competitions – a clash against runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City.

For this reason, it is little surprise to see the player linked with a permanent move to the club.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, are seeking to fund a move for a world-class forward player – PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Dortmund’s Erling Haaland are two of the men most readily linked with them – and if they required to raise funds, then selling Odegaard to Arsenal could be one way to go about it.