Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard has made no secret of his willingness to leave the Spanish capital on loan this month in the hope of playing football regularly and, according to reports, Arsenal are the latest club to inquire about its availability.
Loan spells at Heerenveen, Vitesse Arnhem and Real Sociedad in recent seasons have not been enough to persuade Zinedine Zidane, the 22-year-old, to start regularly for Los Blancos, much to his frustration it seems.
Odegaard has been limited to just seven appearances in Spain’s top flight this season, despite an extremely successful spell at Real Sociedad last season. During his time with La Real, the Norwegian made 36 appearances, contributing seven goals and nine assists.
Creativity has been a problem for the North London club this season – with just 23 goals in 19 Premier League appearances so far.
With Arsenal in need of an additional midfielder and the player looking to prove himself, Mikel Arteta’s side and the Norwegian could prove to be the perfect match.
While there seems to be a huge appetite among fans to see a creative midfielder come in, the recent emergence of Emile Smith Rowe has understandably left some fears that his progress may be blocked by a possible arrival of big names.
The 20-year-old has been a breath of fresh air at Emirates Stadium since being named to the squad that beat Chelsea under Frank Lampard on Boxing Day. In just five Premier League appearances so far, he’s already contributed three assists, but given his injury history and the fact that he’s still so young, one could argue that relying too much on Smith Rowe for a creative spark is a risk Arteta cannot afford. take.
Odegaard’s potential arrival could help spread that burden and with both players in their early 20s keen to prove themselves, the competition could bring out the best of the pair.
It is understood that a number of clubs are interested in borrowing the Norwegian for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign, one of them being Real Sociedad. Considering his history at Anoeta and the fact that a move to San Sebastian would mean staying in Spain, you could understand if the player felt it was a more sensible move.
However, the Gunners have successfully negotiated two loan deals for Dani Ceballos in recent seasons – suggesting the club have a good relationship with the Spanish giants. Stylistically, he’s exactly what fans seem to be looking for and the temporary nature of the move would strengthen Arsenal immediately without impacting Smith Rowe’s long-term outlook.
A player renowned for his ability to play key passes, dribble and bring others into the game – It sounds like a perfect fit.
