Arsenal have identified Martin Odegaard as their top transfer target for the summer transfer window, according to reports in The Athletic.
The 22-year-old has returned to Real Madrid after spending the second half of the season on loan at the Emirates. He joined the club in January and has impressed ever since, despite the north London club’s struggles.
The report in The Athletic claims that Martin Odegaard is Arsenal’s top transfer target. The Norwegian has not only impressed with his performances on the pitch but also with his captaincy traits. With many senior players expected to walk out of the door this summer, the addition of a national captain could boost the club’s morale ahead of the next season.
However, securing the playmaker’s signature is no easy task. The departure of Zinedine Zidane has complicated matters for Arsenal, as per The Athletic. The new manager of Los Blancos could consider the Norwegian an asset and decline any offers from the Emirates club.
It further claims that Arsenal are well aware of the complexity involved in this deal. They have been actively exploring alternatives with Emiliano Buendia being one of the options. The Argentine playmaker has been on the club’s radar for quite some time now.
Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu are said to be admirers of Buendia. If the deal with the Spanish giants does not happen, they consider the Norwich midfielder a feasible replacement.
Arteta has been impressed with the youngster’s performances and when asked about the playmaker’s impact back in March, the Spaniard said:
“He helps us as a team because he gives us a lot of continuity on the ball. He’s really intelligent to find the spaces, he attracts a lot of opponents. We ask him to score goals, to arrive in the box.”
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No player in Arsenal’s squad has more key passes per league game(1.4) than the attacking midfielder and he is also ranked second in terms of pass completion with a 90.9% success rate(as per Who Scored).
In just nine Premier League starts, the playmaker has three-goal contributions. Indeed, he has also proved a dangerous presence with 1.1 shots per game while completing 0.9 successful dribbles on average.
While many players from foreign leagues take time to adapt to the style and physicality of the Premier League, the Norwegian hit the ground running from his first game and has proven his capabilities.
The Gunners will look to bolster their midfield by securing Odegaard’s service for next season. However, even if Real Madrid decide to sell the youngster, the north Londoners will have to shell out big bucks to sign him.
