According to Defensa Central, Real Madrid are willing to sell Martin Odegaard to Arsenal this summer, but only if the Gunners can meet their £51.5 million asking price.
It is no secret at this point that Mikel Arteta would love to sign the Norwegian on a permanent deal. Odegaard joined Arsenal on loan in January and became an instant hit at the Emirates.
He only managed to get himself directly involved in four goals, but he added a lot more to Arsenal’s game. His urgency, pressing, and his ability to bridge the gap between our central midfield and attack helped us massively.
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Arteta noticed that over the last four months and he’s reportedly convinced that Odegaard is the perfect player for us. As a result, he is trying to do everything he possibly can to bring him in, but it will not be easy.
The report claims that the Real Madrid board are not too happy with Odegaard as he forced his way out on loan in January. As a result, they are prepared to part ways with him this summer, but only for £51.5 million.
That seems like a daunting price tag for Arsenal but the report reveals that the above-mentioned figure includes bonuses too. The fixed fee Real Madrid are looking for this summer is a little under £43 million, which isn’t bad at all for a player of Odegaard’s quality.
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Some fans’ opinion of Odegaard isn’t really high at the moment due to his lack of direct goal contributions. Yes, two goals and two assists for an attacking midfielder is a poor return, but things need to be taken into perspective.
Odegaard had no time to settle into a new league. He had to hit the ground running and even though his numbers in front of goal don’t say much, people simply cannot deny that he had a positive influence on the side.
Still only 22, Odegaard will only get better. Real Madrid’s asking price is certainly on the higher side, but any other player who is as talented as the Norwegian will cost the same amount, if not more.
That makes this a no-brainer for Arteta, who is absolutely right to have Odegaard as his number one target this summer.
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