According to Eldesmarque, as cited by TeamTalk, Arsenal are ready to make a move for Martin Odegaard. The Real Madrid playmaker has been identified as the perfect replacement for Mesut Ozil, whose days at Emirates are numbered. However, it is believed that Real Madrid value the Norwegian starlet somewhere around €80m.
Odegaard’s struggles at Real Madrid
Odegaard was regarded as the next big thing in European football when he initially made his breakthrough at Stromsgodset. As a result, he joined Real Madrid in January 2015 for a fee of €2.8m, though he was a part of the Castilla side.
However, Odegaard failed to rise up the ranks as fast as one had expected, getting his promotion to the senior side only in 2017. But even then, he was quickly shipped off to Heerenveen on loan followed by another loan move to Vitesse in 2018.
While he struggled at Heerenveen, Odegaard was involved in 19 league goals for Vitesse in the Eredivisie last season. He returned to the Bernabeu earlier this summer, but due to excessive competition in the creative department, he was sent out to Real Sociedad on a season-long loan deal.
The young Norwegian has been a first-team regular for La Real this campaign, notably being involved in four goals in seven matches. As a result, he has attracted interest from Arsenal.
Is Odegaard a viable target for Arsenal?
Arsenal shouldn’t make a move for Odegaard for multiple reasons. While they will need a new playmaker following the likely departure of Ozil, it’s probably wiser to consider the youngster’s struggles at Real Madrid.
Indeed, the 20-year-old has often struggled to cope with the high-paced nature of football. And it will only get intense in the Premier League, thus posing question marks as to whether or not Odegaard will succeed in the English top flight.
Transitioning to the Premier League at such a young age would also be a difficult task for Odegaard. But, the main stumbling block for Arsenal in their pursuit of the Real Madrid star is the €80m valuation. It is way too expensive for a player, who is yet to enjoy at least one good season in any of Europe’s top five leagues.
A lot will depend on how Odegaard performs at Real Sociedad this season. But in the meantime, Arsenal should look into other alternatives. James Maddison or Jack Grealish, for one, are excellent long-term replacements for Ozil.
