Odegaard to stay at Madrid as Maddison "high on the list” for Arsenal

Odegaard to stay

Martin Odegaard has confirmed that he will be spending the 2021/22 season at Real Madrid.

The Norwegian captain, who was on loan at Arsenal for the second half of the 2020/21 campaign, was speaking to Norwegian TV, and said that the club, now under Carlo Ancelotti’s leadership, have "made it clear” that they want him back.

This will come as a hefty blow to Arsenal’s transfer plans, with Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar thought to have been keen on attempting to make a move for Odegaard on a permanent deal this summer.

Maddison alternative?

However, there had been growing resignation that Odegaard would not rejoin the club, which has seen a potential move for Leicester City’s James Maddison do the rounds in news outlets.

It seems somewhat far-fetched given that Arsenal have neither the financial muscle or the allure of European football to entice the playmaker to the Emirates, however according to respected Arsenal journalist James Benge, the 24-year-old is "high on their list” of options now that Odegaard’s future has been revealed.

Who the "other options” that Benge mentions are as of yet unknown, but it seems as though Arsenal’s focus has now switched to the Premier League proven Maddison.

We will have to wait and see how it all unfolds.