Arsenal’s move for their fan favourite might be back on

One player that most Arsenal fans would want to see playing for the club again is Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian turned into a fan favourite at the Emirates even though he didn’t play a full season after he joined the club on loan from Real Madrid in the last winter transfer window.

He has now returned to Madrid and looks keen to have a career at the Spanish club.

This means he would probably choose to remain with them over a return to Arsenal this summer.

He seemed to have settled in Madrid, but a new twist has just emerged that could see him make a surprising return to Arsenal.

The Athletic via Football London says Madrid needs to offload some of their players so that their wage bill will correspond with what’s required by La Liga.

This means they would have to get some top earners off their wage bill and the report says one of the players that might be sacrificed is Odegaard.

Another Arsenal target, Isco is also on the list of players who they can sell off or loan out to keep their finances in order.

Tags Martin Odegaard

29 Comments

  1. We’ve already seen what he offers and l for one am
    not too impressed, surely there’s better candidates potentially available. please Arsenal you can do better.

  2. Smith Rowe can do a better job than him, why a repeat of another Ceballos? Arsenal seems to help Madrid in balancing their wage books. Funny!!

  3. Got to agree, fellas. I was one of those who thought he would be amazing here, but apart from one great game I was underwhelmed. To be fair a short spell plus an injury meant he didn’t have long, and I would still like him, but at this price there are better options.

  4. Good player perhaps even more so after he settles in.

    Question is if he is worth the price, and also is he so far ahead of ESR?

    I would rather stick with ESR and let him compete with Willock and put the money towards a proven partner with Partey.

    Bissouma PL proven, excellent tackling and interceptions (if you trust in stats), would be a great addition.

    Lastly, based on the slow builup under Arteta and hyper focus on defense, he would be ideally suited to the negative football Arteta prefers.

    Sitting back, defending, then hitting on the counter is something he’s familiar with at Brighton.

    Not sure Brighton would let both White and Bissouma go, but worth a shot.

    Otherwise we could always play even slower and go for Neves.

    Ahh, at least we have a manager that understands Arsenal DNA; quick passing and builup, attacking football, you know the “style” Arteta has shown over his 18 months.

    1. Durand, my concern is putting too much pressure on ESR with game time, given he is young, still developing and does not have a good injury record.
      I agree with you on Martin Odegaard’s potential as well as opportunities for Joe Willock; however there are quite a few EPL proven midfielders, who Arsenal could buy. As well as Bissouma and Neves, Marcel Sabitzer and Matheus Pereira come to mind.
      The lack of urgency and activity is of concern. Given the performance against Hibernian, Glasgow Rangers will be a step up, let alone Arsenal’s first three EPL games.

    2. By the way, Durand, I appreciated the irony of Arteta and the Arsenal “style”. I’m still waiting for someone to explain the “style”, the “project”, the desired “formation” etc.

      1. Hi Ozziegunner.

        Funny you should mention our “style” of play.

        I very much went down that route when commenting the morning after the Hib’s game commenting ;

        ” I’m not going to go through player performances, because another issue really bothers me.

        I am very worried about our STYLE of play.

        The positions who are on the ball the most when in possession remain our centre backs – then out to full backs !!

        Another season of into midfield, nothing on so play back and start again at crabs pace will kill me !!

        We simply do not get in behind teams quickly enough being too predictable and ponderous, playing too much of our football IN FRONT of the opposition at too slower pace.”

        I’ve stuck by Arteta (with caveats) and not joined in the constant “Arteta Out” rhetoric on here (however hard at times).

        I was figuring he was for the most part “cutting his cloth accordingly” last year given what he had at his disposal.

        However, if by some bloody miracle we do undergo a reasonable overhaul in what’s left of this window and persistent in playing largely ineffective deep lying possession based football (without those killer passes getting us in behind) for me that is of huge concern.

        In possession we play too much of our football in front of the opposition, with our transitional play being far too slow.

        I am a very worried individual.

        The 4 “P’s”

        Ponderous – Predictable (leading to) – Poor Performances.

        1. AJ, thank you for your response. From the games I have watched under Mikel Arteta, I also cringe at the slow build up play, progression of the ball and lack of quick passage to the Arsenal forward line. Given the quality of the forwards available, Arsenal’s service from midfield has been poor, leading to lack of goal scoring opportunities.
          Like you and Goonster, my cry of exasperation for explanation has been due to people on here like gotanidea, writing about, “style”, “tactics”, etc without elaborating.

  5. Odegaard was ok for giving esr a rest when needed but will he bring enough to get 15 more points plus? I dont see it myself .
    Maddison even at the higher price gives many more goals and many more assists. Fk taker.English.
    no brainer, pay the money , do it now

    1. AFCam, I would love James Maddison, but Arsenal could probably get two of Pereira/Sabitzer and Bissouma/Neves for the same price.

  6. Whose fan favorite? Definitely not mine. An ok player who is definitely not worth 60 million and most definitely worth risking ESR’s career over. If he returns it will be another Arteta misjudgment.

    1. Joe. S, “risking ESR’s career”, is playing him into the ground and him becoming another Jack Wilshere. His game time has to be carefully managed.

  7. on a side note, looks like Willian is do his best impression of pre-trade James Harden

  8. Good point there Ozzie, I was thinking more along the lines that Arteta likes to play favorites and has already shown bias towards Odergaard as a safer option. Can’t make things happen but will steady the ship type of mentality. If I were ESR and Odergaard were brought in, I would feel threatened and perhaps feel that Villa might be a better environment to learn my trade before moving on to big leagues.

    1. Joe.S, that’s why Arteta gets paid the big pounds to manage players. He would surely need to sit down with both players to explain his rationale. To compete Arsenal needs two players for each position.

  9. Get the real deal, Maddison all day long.Need a goal scorer from midfield positions.Prefer Maddison any day.Maddison is a flair player to generate excitement,this is what this club needs for the fans.

  10. Good player but definitely not effective in the way we play. He suits a fast, dynamic attacking team.

  11. Willock has apparently requested to rejoin Newcastle on loan.

    Only 2 years left on his contract I can see another player leaving for peanuts in a year or free in 2 years.

  12. Why not bring him in again and let him give ESR some more competition?

    I would not pay the ridiculous sums that are being suggested for Odegaard but another loan would not be bad for me.

  13. Doesn’t make much sense to me first I’m not sure that he is among the top earners at the club and CA main job is to rebuild a new much younger team while slashing the wage bill and MO ticks all the boxes as for having him back I wouldn’t mind it he was starting to play much better before his injury on international duties bad luck if you ask me.

  14. Fan favourite? R u avin a larf.He’s another lightweight ( think caballos) marginally more to his game than ozil in so far as that he at least puts on effort.But he’s another 🦀.They need either Maddisson or Aouar.Bit they won’t because the cheapskates at Arsenal will go for the cheap as chips option.What’s happened to the Bissouma links? Would transform our midfield as well.Aother bloody hopeless summer.Which will prob see Arteta out the 🚪 by sept.Brought it on himself.

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