{"id":1186639,"date":"2021-01-22T10:18:22","date_gmt":"2021-01-22T10:18:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1186639"},"modified":"2021-01-22T10:18:22","modified_gmt":"2021-01-22T10:18:22","slug":"martin-odegaard-next-club-arsenal","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/martin-odegaard-next-club-arsenal\/","title":{"rendered":"Martin Odegaard: The creative spark Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal need?"},"content":{"rendered":"

With just three La Liga starts in 2020\/21 for Real Madrid, it’s clear that Martin \u00d8degaard is need of a change of scenery.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A record-breaker for his exploits in the Norwegian Tippeligaen as a 15-year-old, \u00d8degaard caught the attention of the world when he signed for Real Madrid in January 2015 at just 16.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, it’s been a story of struggle and frustration in his attempts to break into the first-team picture with Los Blancos, with \u00d8degaard making just 11 senior appearances for the 13-time European champions, yet to register his first goal or assist.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00d8degaard has, however, enjoyed plenty of time on the pitch during various loan spells, most impressively notching seven goals and nine assists across all competitions in a wonderful 2019\/20 campaign with Real Sociedad, helping the Basque club finish sixth in La Liga.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Many had hoped this would propel the 25-time Norway international on to a regular first-team berth in Zinedine Zidane’s squad but that has simply not transpired, with \u00d8degaard managing just 368 minutes of action across all competitions for Real Madrid this term. Naturally, \u00d8degaard is now being linked with a move away from the Spanish champions and, given that he is still only 22, would represent great value for whoever can secure his signature.<\/span><\/p>\n

Martin Odegaard’s next club?<\/h2>\n

Sky reported on Thursday that Arsenal had made another approach for \u00d8degaard, having already been knocked back once.<\/span> With the seventh-lowest goal tally (23) in the Premier League, the Gunners are desperately short in the final third, with a lack of creativity only adding to the loss of class and confidence suffered by their strikers this season.<\/p>\n

Mikel Arteta left long-time creative force Mesut Ozil out of his squad for the 2020\/21 campaign and the former Germany international has now completed a move to Turkish giants, Fenerbahce. As such, \u00d8degaard would fit the profile of Arteta’s squad perfectly, with Arsenal fielding the fourth-youngest starting XI of any side in the English top-flight this season, with an average age of 26.2 years old.<\/p>\n

What’s more, \u00d8degaard performed at an elite level when it came to chance creation, dribbling and pressing in the final third at Sociedad last season. Given how much influence Arteta takes from Pep Guardiola’s style of play, these characteristics make him a very attractive prospect for the Gunners.<\/span><\/p>\n

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However, Spanish football expert Guillem Balague believes that if \u00d8degaard is to leave Real Madrid during the current window, it will be in the form of another loan move to Real Sociedad.<\/span><\/p>\n

“He wants to go to Real Sociedad and they want him,” said Balague. “They’re waiting on Real Madrid’s decision.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00d8degaard hasn’t made an appearance of any sort since a five-minute cameo in a 2-0 home win over Celta Vigo at the start of January and Balague believes the former Str\u00f8msgodset man may be at odds with Zidane.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Since 1 December he’s played only five minutes,” Balague told BBC Sport<\/a>. “He played against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on that date then he got an injury and was out for three games. But he has barely featured since.<\/span><\/p>\n

“There are some pictures of Zidane losing his cool because he didn’t pressure in one incident and didn’t track back in a game they won, so the suggestion is he’s not at the level defensively that Zidane wants.<\/span><\/p>\n

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READ MORE: Latest odds<\/h2>\n