Arsenal hopeful of signing £30m Odegaard in time to face Chelsea
Arsenal are hoping that Martin Odegaard could be signed in time to play against Chelsea this weekend after they reached an agreement with Real Madrid to bring the playmaker back to the Emirates Stadium on a permanent basis.
Arsenal will pay around £30million for the 22-year-old, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the club and quickly became one of Mikel Arteta’s key attacking players. Arteta made it clear at the end of last season that he wanted the Norwegian to return to north London, although it was initially feared Real would not be willing to sell a player they first signed as a 16-year-old.
Odegaard would have to be registered by midday tomorrow to be available to play against Chelsea on Sunday. With plenty of paperwork and the finer details still to be sorted, it is expected to be tight.
Odegaard’s arrival will give Arteta more options in the attacking midfield area and allow the Spaniard to build on the club’s promising end to the previous season. Odegaard and
Emile Smith Rowe will be the primary candidates for the No10 position, although they showed last year that they can play alongside each other. Arsenal are also on the verge of sealing a move for goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who was left out of Sheffield United’s Championship trip to West Bromwich Albion last night. The 23-year-old goalkeeper is expected to sign a long-term contract for £24 million up front with up to £6 million in add-ons. The moves for Odegaard and Ramsdale are the latest steps toward rebuilding the Arsenal squad by focusing on young players with potential to improve. They will join Ben White (aged 23), Albert Sambi Lokonga (21) and Nuno Tavares (21) as the summer signings.
The sale of Joe Willock to Newcastle United for a fee of around £22 million provided crucial funds for Arsenal, who are also looking to sell other fringe players. Hector Bellerin, Sead Kolasinac, Willian, Lucas Torreira, Ainsely Maitland-niles and Reiss Nelson could all leave before the end of the month, with the hope being that the window will explode into life over the next few days.