It was fairly clear at the end of last season that Mikel Arteta wanted Martin Odegaard to stay at Arsenal, however, the Norwegian decided to return to Real Madrid.
As the new Premier League and La Liga seasons approach, the player’s situation has taken an unexpected turn, with Don Balon reporting that Carlo Ancelotti is none too impressed with what he has seen both in training sessions and Real’s pre-season friendly matches.
The two clubs are now back in talks with a view to the player returning to north London, with the stumbling block being the price Los Blancos apparently want.
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Don Balon suggest Arsenal are willing to pay €50m for Odegaard’s services.
That’s despite recently renewing Emile Smith Rowe, which would suggest Arteta is looking at having much better strength in depth.
Florentino Perez believes that the Norwegian is worth even more, and though his suggestion of a swap with Bukayo Saka was rebuffed, a switch for Gabriel Martinelli could, apparently, oil the wheels.