The Gunners are desperate to renew the squad and quickly forget the nightmare from 2020/21 season, so they have bought their fourth player in the transfer window: Martin Odegaard has impressed enough during his loan spell to convince coach Arteta to spend 4.5 billion Ksh and bring him back to the Emirates. The Norwegian international has signed a five year deal (subject to visa requirements), but won’t be available for the Arsenal – Chelsea derby on Sunday. In recent days, two options have been mentioned: a loan, or a permanent transfer with a buy-back clause. In the end, Real was satisfied with only a right of first refusal in the event of a future sale. Welcome høme, Martin Ødegaard 👋🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/OUlG9YGDKj— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 20, 2021 This also means, at least for the time being, that the Gunners, and coach Arteta in particular, are not convinced that Emile Smith Rowe is the solution as the creative midfielder. Arsenal gave their young product the number 10 shirt (Odegaard will be no.8), and rewarded him with a long term contract, but it seems that they were ‘forced’ to do it, just to keep Aston Villa away from making a transfer push. During the season, it seems that Smith Row will be Odegaard’s replacement. During his six-months loan at the Emirates, Odegaard played 20 matches in all competition for the Gunners. Those games included a total of 14 matches in the Premier League, in which he had two assists and scored a goal (against arch-rivals Tottenham), and all six in the Europa League.ARSENAL – CHELSEAOdegaard started his career in Stromsgodset, in his native Norway, where he made his debut as a 15 year-old, becoming the youngest-ever player to feature in Norway’s top division. He was signed by Real Madrid in January 2015 and became their youngest player in May 2015. But, he made a number of loans in the next three years, playing in Heerenveen, Vitesse and then Real Sociedad in 2019/20, where he helped the club reach the final of the Copa Del Rey. Since January 2021, he was at the Emirates, where he comes back now, but permanently. Odegaard is, off course, a Norway international, and made 30 appearances so far, and guess what – he is also the youngest player to represent his country’s senior national team at the age of just 15 years.
