Real Madrid’s Martin Ødegaard is set to join Arsenal on a loan deal in the winter market.
On January 25th, Mundo Deportivo reported only a ‘last minute surprise’ will stop the Gunners from making the transfer official on Monday.
The north London club have still not announced the attacking midfielder’s transfer, but the deal is expected to go through.
According to AS, the Norway international arrived in London on Sunday, ‘passed his medical’ and also trained with his new club on Monday.
The newspaper states: ‘Martin Ødegaard is a new Arsenal player until the end of this season, after the London club closed a loan agreement with Madrid until June 30’.
Mikel Arteta’s side will not have an option to make the player’s loan stay permanent in the summer.
It’s claimed Arsenal will pay a loan fee of €2m to Real Madrid and take care of the Norwegian’s full salary during his temporary stay at the Emirates.
Lack of minutes with the La Liga winners in the first half of the season and ‘dissatisfaction due to lack of confidence’ shown by Zinedine Zidane convinced Ødegaard to go out on loan this month.
Meanwhile, former Real Madrid forward and manager Jorge Valdano has questioned Ødegaard’s decision to leave the Spanish club on a loan deal to Arsenal.
Valdano has pinned the midfielder’s decision to join Arsenal on his lack of confidence and patience.
“I don’t think Ødegaard played badly when it was his turn, but he lacked a point of daring and a greater sense of risk,” Valdano told Onda Cero, as relayed by Marca.
“He was too close to Casemiro and lacked prominence for the final pass, which is what is expected of Ødegaard. But that has to do with confidence and I think time would have given him it. But he lacked patience.
“A Madrid player must have more capacity for suffering, he should not give up so soon. And even less so when he is so young and playing with two stars like Kroos and Modric. Kroos is a star and Modric is a star. They are not just two players.”
