Arsenal has been handed a boost in their bid to bring Martin Odegaard back to the club this summer.
The Norwegian spent the second half of last season at the Emirates on loan from Real Madrid.
He became a fans’ favourite at the home of the Gunners and Mikel Arteta also enjoyed working with him.
The Spaniard is now pushing to sign him again for another campaign.
Madrid is working with him as a part of their plans now, and he is determined to be a success at the Spanish club.
However, he will probably struggle to play regularly under Carlo Ancelotti, as was the case with Zinedine Zidane.
Todofichajes says the midfielder has realised that he would only be an option at Madrid now because of injuries to other players.
He might play regularly for the La Liga side now because Toni Kroos is injured. However, when the German returns, he would likely be back on the bench.
The midfielder is now looking for a move away and the report says Arsenal is on standby to close out his signing.
Real Madrid has set an asking price for him and it’s apparently 50m euros.
Arsenal will look to negotiate down that price to suit their budget for this transfer window.
This has become a never ending story. With AFC targets we don’t really know which is real or fake story. Can’t wait for the transfer calendar to close up and we know what Arteta and Edu are up to.
So far this has to be one of the worst tranfer windows for years. Not very exciting at all.
Up to their necks looks a likely outcome.
So far e seem to be paying too much for 2nd choices and selling for too little players who we should be keeping or re-signing when we should be getting rid of…
Painful
Please get Odegaard back. If we can get him for about £30 million then get him.
He wants Real Madrid, but will settle for Arsenal and guaranteed playing time.
Thought Arteta didn’t guarantee playing time, isn’t that why Emi left?
Yet Odegaard wants to leave Real and join Arsenal because he can start here.
Sure sounds like this is the case.
Rather have a player that loves the club and badge, like Bissouma, than someone just here for a guarantee of playing time.
I know they are different positions, but rather have those who love the club than more mercenaries.
Man that’s some crazy spin.
Personally I’d rather have a player who wants to play then a player who “loves the club”. If you can have both, great.
I don’t think Geordies are bemoaning he fact that Willock wanted to make it at Arsenal. They get a player desperate to prove himself and won’t give a toss if he doesn’t kiss the badge every time he scores.
“A player that wants to play” perfectly sums up Willian, how did that turn out?
Add Auba to that list as well.
Compare that to Saka, ESR, Martinelli, to name a few that love the club.
Your preference for your type of player summarizes the mediocrity we’re in now.
You’re fine with someone coming here to just play for a paycheck.
SMFH
I’d never describe Wiillian as a player who just wants to play. Has anyone? To me he fits perfectly with your description of a paid mercenary – he wanted a three year contract and to stay in London.
Not sure what you read in my original response that says I’m fine with someone coming here to just play for a paycheck. Enlighten me.
Not to mention ESR > Odegaard based on performances and results.
Rather we find a backup for ESR for injuries than replace him with Odegaard.
We’re midtable team in reality, and nowhere near top 4. NOW is the time to give youth pitch experience and chemistry together to be a force in the future.
Honestly LAST YEAR was the perfect opportunity for that, especially in the Spring. Saliba, Martinelli, Balogun as a sub, etc….
Instead we wound up chasing smoke and dreams of top 4 that was never happening.
Club has a serious lack of direction and planning, except for the mysterious and ambiguous “process” which as yet has never been defined or explained.
Bissouma instead of Odegaard… in wich world are you living?!?!!? We need result!! Odegaard xas one of our best player, 50 mil is nothing, better than Bissouma or Madison.. we need that boy, who cares if his motivation is more game time
Is “boost” Spanish for “punch in the junk”?
RVL
Funny comment, and yes is the answer with the fee being mentioned.
We could get midfielder and GK for the price of Odegaard.
Lower fee according to the article? How?
They currently need Odegaard to cover for Kroos, his contract not running out, and they don’t have to sell.
Junk punch is about right RVL, or “boost” could mean “slim to none”
We need someone who can create 2 assists in 9 games is not good enough, one goal is poor. The guy is distinctly average, him and xhaka in the same team, means boring sideways negative football. If Arteta gets him im not impressed to say the least. I want exciting football not boring slow football.
Agree with you on this one Reggie and where did the phrase “fan’s favourite” come from?
I must say he was the better of our two loanees from last season and if he can be bought for under £20,000,000 then he could be a good squad player.
As for you saying this is the worst window for years, how can you possibly know what is ahead?
The window closes at the end of August and MA can be judged come Christmas… until then, isn’t it possible that you can be a little positive?
I agree about getting odergaard for no more than 20 mil, not worth a cent more. As regards my statement about the window, we haven’t moved on the players we want too, we are being forced to sell the young talent to supplement new players, we are left with players we dont want and the positions that everyone accepts needs strengthening have not been addressed. White for me may turn out a bargain but we didn’t “need” him before other addressed areas. The team at this moment in time is basically the same as last and our manager stated that the plan was in place and they knew the players they wanted out and in. It hasn’t happened. It is a poor window in every respect.
so true Reggie…plus, it’s not just about the transfer fee, as the bigger problem for us has been our bloated wage bill and there’s no doubt in my mind that Ode’s people are going to want big bucks for his signature
Reggie, we have committed our young players to new contracts – we have signed three new players, spending a reported £75,000,000 in doing so – we have until the end of August to sign more players and sell others – we are selling ONE young player, who has failed to live up to expectations for a reported £25,000,000 – we have clubs interested in our players… MA has decided who he wants to keep/sign/transfer.
Now it’s time to back him and see if he has been correct.
We are complaining about paying over the odds for players and how our club are always wrong in our transfer dealings – I give you this one to ponder over:
After selling lukaka for £28,000,000, chelsea are buying him back for, reportedly, £9 8,000,000 four years later… chelsea fans are delighted, how do you think our fans would react to the same scenario?
What a different fanbase!!!!!
Ken, i dont agree with you about willock at all as you know. As far as Chelsea, Mourinio i believe made the “mistake” with lakaku and the latest manager is wanting him back. Chelsea made mistakes with Salah and De Bruyne but they have change managers and won the league and CL since. They haven’t gone backwards or stagnated like us because they sacked managers not doing the business, we stick with ours.
We have two very inexperienced people in charge of the team and transfers and for me it shows. The strategy is scatter gun and shortsighted, i dont like .ost of the decisions that our two team builders are making. I AM WORRIED FOR OUR ONCE GREAT CLUB!
Most
You miss the point Reggie – Chelsea have re-signed a player they thought was not good enough seven years (not four as I said… sorry) making a loss of over nearly £80,000,000… that’s what we have spent to date so far!!!
If it wasn’t for Abramovitch, this club would never have survived with such chaotic transfer dealings.
Our club, despite the Ozil / Aubameyang /Willian grotesque mistakes have ALWAYS been seen to work within a framework that ensured the club was always run as a self supporting one… way back to the days when I first started following them.
We are now spending more in transfers than ever imagined, including breaking the clubs record when purchasing Pepe.
This has meant that the club needs to start being ruthless with players who have not made the grade, such as Willock, Nelson and Nketiah… all of whom, I believe, will be sold.
MA, as manager, has turned down offers for Xhaka and Bellerin, whilst sending other players (for differing reasons) out on loan-cancelled contracts-bought younger players for the future.
Whether he succeeds or not, will become clear this season and he deserves our backing BUT if he fails, the playing staff will be a very strong, young and signed up, contract speaking, for many years… players like ESR, Saka, White, Tierney, Balogun, Pepe, Martinelli etc etc along with Partey, Xhaka, Aubemeyang and (hopefully) Leno and Lacs
With the above, along with others that I haven’t mentioned, IF MA FAILS, any manager /coach worth his salt, will jump at the opportunity to come to The Arsenal and coach these players.
Those fans who craved for a change of direction from Wenger’s last couple of seasons, are now getting their wish, but far from backing this new era of change, they are bitching about it!!!
As a supporter of AW, I realised it would take ANY manager who came in, time to stamp his authority, plan, ideas and players HE wanted.
Like AW and every other Arsenal manager, Arteta has made mistakes and…. going back to Chelsea and Lukaka… we are not the only club.
If fans keep hounding every single thing MA does, which it seems you do on a regular basis, that is when I fear for “our once great club” and I hope you are in the minority.
please tag me in Reggie, I would relish the opportunity to quickly dispel this cherry-picking wet dream of an argument being presented by the always magnanimous Ken
Vera, every time you comment, you show your contempt of others and your belief that you are someone with intellect.
Try and grow up when debating with your fellow Arsenal fans and, if you want to drag the comments down to the level of adolescent schoolboys, please don’t include me in your childish rants.
I believe ken and i may be wrong, Morinio sold Lakaku for Costa, which wasn’t a bad move. Tuchel is not Morinio, he is a completely different manager, Costa isnt there and Tuchel wants Lakaku, who once happened to play for Chelsea in a previous life. Chelsea sold players and haven’t gone backwards like us.
once again Ken, before responding please look squarely in the mirror, as your words are no less contemptible or “childish” than mine…in fact, some might suggest that your “adult in the room” posturing is far more disrespectful than anything I put forth
I’m not sure Odegaard being available is a boost the guy is bang average and we have too much of that in the squad already.
Just as I predicted yesterday, he is surplus to requirements at RM; Ancelotti doesn’t fancy him.
Odegaard is not worth more than 25M, but stay tuned for the big 50M swindle. No doubt, this will be marketed by the club, as the transfer day deadline miracle….so be excited and trust the process.
Will it be more dramatic than the 45M Party episode last year? Riveting stuff.
If odergaard is bought, it will be a big let down. I felt last year trying to fit ESR and odergaard in the same team was wrong for us and it would be next season. Odergaard is only wanted by Arteta.
Even worse, we will be using/wasting Joe Willock’s money.
Agree 100%
We need a goalscoring midfielder like Joe Willock.
How many goals has he scored for us since his first team debut?
If that’s a “goalscoring midfielder” God help football today!!!
Ken, even you have to see willock has potential that we haven’t utilised. That isn’t Willocks fault, thats Artetas. Newcastle got a tune out of him.
Did you really expect Arteta to get a tune out of Willock, when he couldn’t even get a hum out of Willian!
Rfrancis, something is terribly wrong with our club.
RFrancis, one of MA’s mistakes, but as Ozil was accused by the fans, hasn’t it been the same thing with Aubameyang and Willian?
Big contract, no need to worry about anything for three years – the difference being in the way each of the players were /are being treated by MA… another mistake?!
Any other top six club showing an interest in him Reggie?
Arteta, as you correctly state, was given chances in the Europa league last season – you say he was out best player, I did and, it seems, MA didn’t either.
Neither did ANY other club bar Newcastle, so why aren’t any other club showing any interest, if they know Arsenal are willing to sell him… especially if the reported £25,000,000 is such a low price?
Reggie, even I have seen the many opportunities given to Willock under three different managers and he hasn’t taken one of them.
Even I have seen Nketiah, Nelson do the same thing, while watching Saka and ESR show what it takes to move our club forward.
Even you need to ask yourself why three managers tried and failed to take him that step forward – and also, using the argument you regularly use, why no other top six club have shown ANY interest in him.
I hate being negative to any Arsenal player, but the hysteria accompanying the decision, if it does happen, to sell Willock for £25,000,000 is ridiculous – it’s just an opportunity to knock MA yet again…. and just to make it clear, the jury is still out on him as far as I’m concerned, but I will support him as the season begins, not crucify his every move!!!
Ken, how can you say Willock hasn’t taken the chance Arteta gave him. He hasn’t been given the chance he deserves. He was our best player last season in the Europa league and then loaned out to Newcastle with great success. WHAT CHANCE HAS ARTETA GIVEN HIM AT ARSENAL?
Ken1945
Thanks for being one of the more sensible commentators here. The furore following Willock’s sale has become quite ridiculous.
He is one of the few players who can command a reasonable transfer fee so Arsenal had little choice especially as they have been unable to move various other players so far.
Arsenal still need to strengthen in a number of areas however. And time is running out!
Agree Websurfer!
I would even prefer to add Zaha to the team than bring in Odegaard,
Zaha would be good if well nurtured for the CF role, than waste money on odegaard.
No thanks.
Whatever happens, Friday here we go. If my memory serves me right, we have never lost an opening match against a newly promoted side even though Mikel has broken the unbreakables. Good luck Arsenal Football Club. Top 4 is an achievable target.
If Odegaard has to be bought than why sell Willock, our only goal scoring midfielder. How many other midfielders in our current squad have scored as many goals as Willock in the last 3 seasons. We should get either Madison or Aouar instead of Odegaard, to take us forward next season.
I will always say loads of the trash we read are rumours, but then again, all the criticisms, if we all that good, how come non of us fans are running football? All we do invest some change and little emotions. 🥴🥴
I ve stopped reading ars transfer news . can’t wait for the window to close. Then we know what gwam