Martin Odegaard to Arsenal: Real Madrid playmaker set to finalize loan move and undergo medical today
Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard is due at Arsenal’s training ground today to finalise his loan move to the club.
Odegaard has agreed to join the Gunners until the end of the season, with the loan deal containing no option for Arsenal to make the move permanent in the summer.
The 22-year-old has made just seven LaLiga appearances for Real Madrid this season and he is eager to gain more action in the second half of the campaign.
Odegaard had also attracted interest from Real Sociedad, where he spent last year on loan, but Arsenal have won the race for the attacking midfielder.
The Gunners have been in the market for a playmaker throughout the current transfer window and have looked at a number of targets.
The move will delight Mikel Arteta, who is believed to have played a significant role in convincing the Norway international to opt against a return to Real Sociedad in favour of a spell in north London.
Odegaard’s arrival will ease the pressure on the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka, while increasing the pressure on underperforming stars such as Willian and Nicolas Pepe.
The young attacker was determined to leave Madrid this month in pursuit of regular football between now and the end of the season, having made just nine appearances for the Spanish champions in all competitions this season.
Odegaard’s availability became clear last week, when Real Madrid decided he would go out on loan, and Arsenal’s technical director Edu has acted swiftly to tie up a deal.
The Norwegian is due at the club’s training ground on Monday to undergo his medical and finalise the relevant paperwork before joining Arsenal, who are thought to be paying a loan fee of around €2million (£1.8m).
Arsenal wanted to sign a creative midfielder this month to provide competition for Emile Smith Rowe, who has burst onto the scene and into the first team.
The departures of Mesut Ozil, who joined Fenerbahce on Sunday, Sead Kolasinac and Sokratis Papastathopoulos have freed up space in the squad, but Arsenal will still need to offload another non-homegrown player once Odegaard has signed.
Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan, who joined on loan last Friday, has taken up one non-homegrown spot in the Arsenal squad and another must be found to add Odegaard.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta spoke to the 22-year-old directly to assure him that he will get minutes in his new project. This has reportedly been decisive for the Norwegian, who also had the choice of returning to Real Sociedad, where he showed some superb form last season. Real Madrid are happier with the offer from Arsenal as they are not a direct rival.
Odegaard will be their second loanee from Real Madrid this season, along with fellow midfielder Dani Ceballos.
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They have also paid Madrid a loan fee for the 22-year-old and there is no option to turn the move permanent included in the deal.
The move will delight Mikel Arteta, who is believed to have played a significant role in convincing the Norway international to opt against a return to Real Sociedad in favour of a spell in north London.
Odegaard’s arrival will ease the pressure on the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka, while increasing the pressure on underperforming stars such as Willian and Nicolas Pepe.
The young attacker was determined to leave Madrid this month in pursuit of regular football between now and the end of the season, having made just nine appearances for the Spanish champions in all competitions this season.
Arsenal have been searching for a creative midfielder since the start of the campaign, with Mesut Ozil having been left out of the Premier League squad by Arteta.
The German has now completed a move to Fenerbahce and, in his absence this season, Arsenal have struggled for creativity, although Smith Rowe has transformed Arteta’s attack since being brought into the side on Boxing Day.
The 20-year-old has set up three goals in six games since the 3-1 win against Chelsea on December 26 and found the net himself in the FA Cup win against Newcastle.
There are some who believe Odegaard’s imminent arrival might put the brakes on Smith Rowe’s impressive development, but Arteta insists every decision Arsenal make is well thought out.
“We have a very clear idea of how we want our players to develop and what they need to do that,” he said, when asked what the capture of Odegaard could mean for Smith Rowe.
“All the decisions we make are just to reinforce their development and try to give them the best possible chance.”
As well as playing at number 10, Odegaard can also operate from the wide right position, so he could provide cover for Saka, who has been performing so well on the right side of attack in recent weeks.
That could see opportunities further limited for Willian and Pepe, whose performances were once again called into question following Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round defeat at Southampton.
