Arsenal are now even money with bookmakers Ladbrokes to sign Real Madrid attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard on a permanent deal.
The talented young Norway international joined the Gunners on loan in January and has impressed in his time at the Emirates Stadium so far, looking an ideal creative midfield player to come in after the departure of Mesut Ozil.
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We’re sure many Arsenal fans will now be eager to see Odegaard stay at the club beyond his loan spell, and it seems Ladbrokes are now suggesting there’s a good chance of it happening.
Their latest shift in odds suggests they expect there’s a good chance Odegaard will be an Arsenal player at the start of next season.
There’s always the risk with these loan deals, of course, that if Odegaard impresses too much then Real Madrid might decide they want him back after all!
Still, the 22-year-old has never managed to establish himself as a regular at the Bernabeu so might well be tempted to extend his stay with Arsenal if the option is there.
That said, one could also imagine other top clubs showing an interest in Odegaard, who might well feel he’s good enough to be playing for a side more capable of challenging for major trophies, not to mention able to offer Champions League football.
Having joined Arsenal on loan in the first place, though, that surely puts the north Londoners in a good position.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “Odegaard has more than proved his worth since joining Arsenal on loan, and all eyes will now be on whether or not the Gunners can make his move a permanent one.”