
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has offered some fresh hope to Arsenal in Mikel Arteta and Edu’s pursuit of Martin Odegaard.
The Norwegian joined us on loan in January and became an instant fan favourite. He was absolutely brilliant for Arsenal in his few months here with us, and he proved to be an excellent fit in Arteta’s system.
The Arsenal boss, unsurprisingly, made Odegaard his number one transfer target. He was reportedly ready to do everything possible to bring the playmaker back to the Emirates this summer, but rumours claimed that it was impossible.

Even Odegaard himself claimed this week that Real Madrid had summoned him back for pre-season training. (read here) That was disappointing news for Arsenal fans, but Perez’s latest comments hint that a move could still be possible this summer.
Florentino Perez hints Real Madrid can’t fit Arsenal target Odegaard
Perez told El Transistor today, as translated by Tom Allnut: “We have 35 players and can only register 25…Ceballos, Kubo, Odegaard, we can’t fit them all. We’re talking with players & their agents.
“We have a lot of young players, if they can’t develop here they can go on loan and come back.”

Should Arsenal go back in for Odegaard?
Reports recently claimed that Arsenal had given up on Odegaard and Edu had turned his attention to Leicester City star James Maddison. That excited supporters, but now that there’s a chance to sign the Norwegian, should we go back in for him?
Perez’s comments hint that Odegaard will only be available for another loan deal. That is beneficial to Arsenal as it wouldn’t cost much, but he would again be a stop-gap option, and that is not ideal at all.
Read more: Arteta could now sell ‘incredible’ Arsenal star – just 5 months after he signed a new deal
If a deal for Maddison is really achievable, we should go all out for him. The Leicester star is absolutely brilliant and he has proved his worth in the Premier League for a lot longer than Odegaard. He is more of a goal threat as well, and he would really be a sensational signing for us.
If the choice is between Odegaard and Maddison, Arsenal should go for the Leicester City man.

Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
