Arsenal will not be able to sign Martin Odegaard for good at the end of his loan deal scheduled for this summer.
The Gunners appear set to temporarily confirm the signing of the much-loved Real Madrid midfielder until the end of the season.
Mikel Arteta’s team will pay a loan fee of £ 1.8million for the Norwegian star and cover his salary of £ 38,000 per week for the duration of his stay in the Emirates.
However, Arsenal have not been given the opportunity to retain the 22-year-old’s services beyond the initial six-month period as the Spanish giants want to keep him in the event where manager Zindine Zidane leaves the club.
Arteta is said to have convinced the youngster to join the Gunners as he continues to rebuild Arsenal.
(Image: Getty)
A poor first half of the season has seen Arsenal tumble down the Premier League table and are currently in 11th place despite a recent return to form.
Unbeaten in his last five league games, Arteta is hoping to add more creativity to his attack and hope Odegaard will be the man to provide it.
Widely regarded as one of football’s most promising young prospects, Odegaard initially moved to Madrid at just 16 from the Norwegian side of Stromsgodset in January 2015.
After becoming the youngest player to play for the first team a few months later, the playmaker was transferred to the youth setup before a series of loan spells.
Odegaard has spent time with Dutch teams Herenveen and Vitesse as well as Madrid’s La Liga rivals Real Sociodad.
However, after his last comeback last summer, Zindane made it clear that Odegaard is not in his plans currently.
But the Frenchman himself could see his own time at Madrid threatened after a choppy season with the Spanish champions.
Real are currently second in La Liga, seven points behind rivals Atletico, having played one more game.
Zindane also saw his side withdraw from the Spanish Cup last week after suffering a humiliating 2-1 loss to third division team Alcoyano.
