Arsenal have plans to bring Martin Odegaard back to the Premier League but as per the latest reports, London rivals Chelsea have also joined the race to sign him.
Real Madrid are planning to get rid of Isco this summer but according to Fabrizio Romano, if the Spanish side fail to offload him then Martin Odegaard will be allowed to leave instead.
Romano had recently said on his Twitch stream, as quoted: “He was really happy at Arsenal, he really enjoyed his time at Arsenal. The board, Edu, everyone at the club loves the player. Keep an eye on this one until the last day.
“If Real Madrid can’t sell Isco, maybe there will be a possibility for Odegaard to join Arsenal on a permanent deal.
“I would keep an eye on Arsenal until the last week of August. I am sure they love the player, and Odegaard would be open if Real Madrid changed their position.”
And now this potential availability seems to have spiked the interest of Chelsea who are yet to make any major signing during the ongoing transfer window.
Sports Mole cites Fichajes: “Arsenal could reportedly face competition from Chelsea in the race for Real Madrid playmaker Martin Odegaard.
“Spanish outlet Fichajes claims that Odegaard – who Real Madrid may be prepared to sell for a fee of £42.5m – is also of interest to Chelsea.”
Will Martin Odegaard choose Chelsea over Arsenal?
With Chelsea, Martin Odegaard will get the chance to play in the Champions League next season but we have a feeling the Norwegian will opt to return to the Emirates instead.
At Chelsea, Odegaard will face a lot of competition from players like Ziyech, Mount, Havertz and Hudson-Odoi.
But at Arsenal, he could be the main playmaker in the starting line-up since Dani Ceballos and Mesut Ozil have both left the club.
The Blues might be planning to send Hakim Ziyech out on loan but even then we don’t see the 22-year-old opting for a move to Stamford Bridge.
Also, Martin Odegaard is really familiar with the surroundings at Arsenal so he will take no time to settle down. But at Chelsea, the attacking midfielder will have to start from scratch.
But the one major problem for the Gunners will be the transfer fee since Real Madrid are reportedly not willing to send Odegaard out on loan once again and they want 50 million euros for a permanent sale.
