Martin Ødegaard recovered from an ankle injury and returned to action in Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Everton last Friday.
The midfielder is currently on loan at the north London club from Real Madrid, having arrived at the Emirates in January. He has 14 appearances in all competitions and has two goals to his name.
The 22-year-old has impressed Mikel Arteta and the Gunners manager has publicly expressed his desire to retain the Norway international beyond this campaign.
According to AS, the Premier League side’s hope of keeping the player is diminishing because of the stance taken by Los Blancos.
Zinedine Zidane is currently short of options in midfield and had asked for Ødegaard’s patience in January, when he struggled to get regular playing time in the first half of the season.
The former Real Sociedad loanee felt it was important for him to go out on loan in search of more minutes, which he’s achieving at Arsenal. His performances convinced Arsenal to retain him.
‘Ødegaard is necessary,’ reads AS’ title and within the report, it’s stated the Norwegian is considered ‘fundamental’ and ‘essential’ to Real Madrid’s medium and long-term plans. The La Liga side believe he can be a world class player in the future.
Therefore, the Spanish club have no plans to listen to offers for Ødegaard and he will return to the Bernabéu in the summer, once his loan deal with Arsenal expires.
