BEVERLY HILLS, January 27, (THEWILL) – Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard has officially joined North London English Premier League club Arsenal on loan until the end of the season, the Gunners have confirmed.
Seeking more regular playing time and first-team action, the 22-year-old asked to leave La Liga defending champions Real Madrid on loan. From a set of options open for him, a loan agreement was reached with Arsenal on Sunday night and on Tuesday, he passed his medical while his new teammates were dispatching Southampton on a league tie away from home.
The midfielder who had a loan stint with Real Sociedad previously considered a return to Basque Country and the Anoeta Stadium where he had an impressive 2019/2020 season on loan. But, he decided to test himself in the renowned Premier League with the Gunners. It has been reported that Mikel Arteta’s conversation with the playmaker was key to making up his mind.
The gap left in the midfield, which responsibility was taken up by the young shoulders of Emile Smith-Rowe, will now be shared by Odegaard after Mesut Ozil departed for Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce.
The Norwegian made just seven appearances for Real Madrid this season upon his return from first-team slot in Sociedad and he was not even listed to face minnows Alcoyano last Wednesday which spelled the end of his time at the Spanish capital for now.
Most commentators who have followed his development as a player see his potential to be an influential midfielder able to determine the pace and flow of the game and to dictate the advance movement of the team as a whole. Several times, Odegaard has been compared to Mesut Ozil in Mesut’s prime.
That will be good business for Arsenal if he is able to click into action for the team and help bear their midfield burdens especially with Smith-Rowe limping off their victory against Southampton on Tuesday night and Thomas Partey not fully fit to play for the entire 90 minutes.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
