27 days into the January transfer window, Arsenal have completed the signing of a new number 10. Martin Odegaard has joined us from Real Madrid on loan until the end of the season.
Mikel Arteta and Edu have been working really hard to get a creative player in and the Norway international is the chosen one.
Who is Odegaard? What do his stats say? How much has this deal cost us? Is there an option to buy in the summer?
Let’s have a look.
Who is Martin Odegaard?
Odegaard is a 22-year-old attacking midfielder who has been in the news since he was 15. Real Madrid beat almost every big club in the world for his signature, but Zinedine Zidane doesn’t quite fancy him at the moment.
The Norwegian was sent out on loan to Real Sociedad last season. He was a star there as he scored seven goals and provided nine assists in all competitions to help La Real finish sixth in the table.
Odegaard has started just five games for Real Madrid this term but he is yet to register a goal or an assist. He is desperate for regular game time and it looks like Arteta has promised him that at the Emirates.
The Sun revealed that Arsenal will pay Real Madrid a loan fee of about £2 million. Goal reported that we will cover his entire salary of £38,000-a-week as well, which isn’t a bad deal for someone of his quality.
Arsenal don’t have an option to buy Odegaard permanently at the end of the season. It is a simple loan deal and the midfielder is expected to return to Madrid in the summer.
However, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that both Real Madrid and the Gunners will sit down to discuss the future of the Norwegian as well as Dani Ceballos in the summer.
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