Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admits he wants Martin Odegaard to stay after impressive loan spell

Mikel Arteta admits he wants Martin Odegaard to stay at Arsenal after impressive loan spell… as boss confirms ‘discussions’ with Real Madrid over a permanent transfer will take place ‘in the next few weeks’

  • Martin Odegaard joined Arsenal on loan from Real Madrid back in January 
  • The Norwegian playmaker has added a layer of creativity to the Gunners midfield
  • Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is hopeful Odegaard’s future will remain at the club 
  • The 22-year-old scored two goals and registered two assists in four months  

Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal will look into the possibility of signing Real Madrid’s Martin Odegaard ‘in the next few weeks’ after the Norwegian impressed during his four-month loan spell at the Emirates. 

The playmaker started and played 86 minutes in the Gunners’ 2-0 win against Brighton on the final day, meaning Arteta’s side finished a difficult Premier League campaign in eighth place. 

The 22-year-old joined from Madrid in January on a loan deal until the end of the season, scoring two goals and registering two assists in 20 appearances and now Arteta is hopeful the club can complete a deal with Odegaard’s parent club over a permanent transfer. 

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will look into the possibility of signing Martin Odegaard this summer

The Real Madrid playmaker has impressed since joining the Gunners on loan back in January

The Real Madrid playmaker has impressed since joining the Gunners on loan back in January 

‘We have a very clear and strong opinion on what we would like to do,’ Arteta said about Odegaard’s potential future in north London. 

‘He’s not our player. We’ll have discussions in the next few weeks, but first of all we need to respect that he’s a Real Madrid player.

‘We’ll have those communications. We’ve tried to make everything that we could to get Martin performing for the team, which I think he’s done.

‘He has adapted really well to our way of playing and to our football. Hopefully we have given him the hope and the feeling this could be a good place for him.’ 

Odegaard received a standing ovation after playing in front of Arsenal fans for the first time

Odegaard received a standing ovation after playing in front of Arsenal fans for the first time

When asked directly if Odegaard will stay at Arsenal, Arteta replied: ‘I don’t know. It’s not in our hands, I don’t know.’

While Arteta is interested in keeping hold of Odegaard, his willingness to sign Dani Ceballos permanently from Madrid appears less obvious. 

The midfielder has made some high-profile mistakes this season and having spent a second successive on loan at the Emirates, the 24-year-old looks set to return to Madrid for good this time.  

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