Martin Odegaard impressed Mikel Arteta during the second half of last season, when he was on loan at the Emirates from Real Madrid.
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Arsenal are edging closer to finalising a deal to bring back Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid. The Norwegian playmaker spent the last season on loan from Los Blancos at the Emirates and impressed head coach Mikel Arteta during the second half of the season. According to Sportsmail, the deal could be in the region GBP 30 million. Initially, Arteta was after Leicester City’s James Maddison but since they couldn’t negotiate a deal with the Foxes, the Gunners are now focusing on the 22-year-old.
The deal is believed to be in the latter stages with Odegaard very much primed to return to Arsenal and link up with the senior Arsenal squad. Meanwhile, he was absent from Real Madrid’s training session.
The Gunners will face Chelsea next weekend and they will be hoping to complete the formalities before that and get him available for the match.
Arteata’s side are not having the best of times as they lost their opening match of the Premier League 2021-22 campaign against newly-promoted Brentford last weekend. Meanwhile Arsenal’s inability to control the midfield was very much visible in the previous game and they lacked a quality playmaker’s services. Apart from Emile Smith Rowe nobody looked like having creativity upfront. Therefore Odegaard’s arrival is a much-needed one for Arteta.
Although Arsenal were linked to Maddison for a while, they couldn’t bring down the asking price of GBP 60 million set by the Foxes. The Gunners are also linked with Lyon’s Houssem Aouar. The Frenchman looks set to move away from the French giants in order to ease the financial burden on the club. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur are also in the race to secure the signature of the 23-year-old.
Arsenal are further preparing a bid for the Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale according to The Sheffield Star. The Gunners are in need of a quality goalkeeper after their first choice keeper Bernd Leno’s flaws were exposed at Brentford.
The asking price for the 23- year-old Englishman is GBP 40 million and according to the outlet, Arsenal are trying to negotiate a deal somewhere around the region GBP 28 million.
When asked whether Ramsdale would be moving on this summer, Sheffield United boss Slavisa Jokanovic said: “Right now he is a United player. It will depend on our club and Arsenal too because they are pushing for him but at this moment there is no change.”
“He is a talented English player and I understand Arsenal are interested, but this is the business. If he is one of the best players in the league his price is high and it’s up to Arsenal if they want him. They need to spend a lot of money. I will be disappointed [if he leaves] but it’s part of the realistic situation – Arsenal is pushing from one side and I am pulling from a different side.”
