Martin Odegaard has finally returned to Arsenal but this time, on a permanent deal.
The Norwegian spent the second half of last season on loan from Real Madrid. He wasn’t directly involved in a ton of goals, but he certainly improved us as a team, and that is the biggest reason why Mikel Arteta was desperate to bring him back.
The Spanish media have questioned Odegaard’s ambition over the last few weeks for wishing to leave Real Madrid. (AS) Many have slammed his mentality for choosing to join an Arsenal side who aren’t even in Europe instead of staying and fighting for a place at the Bernabeu.
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That is really harsh on the Norwegian and he has now hit back. He has claimed that some of the things the Spanish press have claimed in recent weeks are untrue and has backed his decision to leave Real Madrid as he thinks ‘it is for the best’.
Odegaard hits out at Spanish media after joining Arsenal
After completing his move to Arsenal, Odegaard bid farewell to Real Madrid fans through a lengthy Instagram post. He thanked everyone associated with the club for all their help over the last six-and-a-half years, before having a real go at the media for their claims about him.
The second part of his post read: “These days people talk a lot about me and my reasons for going out. I just want to say that almost everything they are saying is not the truth.
“For me, it is a shame that the press says things that are not true because many people sincerely think that is the case. I have my reasons, I know what the truth is and what has happened and that is why I think it is for the best.”
Odegaard has always been open about his situation at Real Madrid. He has always had just one desire – to play every week. At the Spanish capital under Zinedine Zidane last season, he wasn’t given that opportunity. As a result, he left them and joined Arsenal on loan.
When Carlo Ancelotti took charge of the Galacticos this term, many felt Odegaard would be given a chance. However, the new Real Madrid boss’ decisions in pre-season proved otherwise, and the Norwegian decided that it was time to move on.
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Odegaard’s decision was clearly based on football reasons and he deserves credit, not criticism, for taking such a big step. He was never really appreciated at Real Madrid, but he’ll surely be loved at Arsenal, where he has Arteta’s complete trust.
