It has been stated many times that Mikel Arteta’s prime target for summer was to persuade Martin Odegaard to return to the Emirates on loan again next season. As he told Arsenal.com: “We have a very clear and strong opinion on what we’d like to do.
“He’s not our player, we will have discussions in the next few weeks. We respect he’s a Real Madrid player and will have those communications.
“We’ve tried to make everything that we could to get Martin performing for the team, which I think he’s done, and he’s adapted really well to our way of playing and our football club.
“Hopefully, we have given him the hope and the feeling that this could be a good place for him here.”
But that hope is apparently diminishing every day now that Carlo Ancelotti, who has seen Odegaard’s performances first-hand this season, has now been named as the new coach at Real Madrid.
He mentioned Odegaard in his thoughts on his appointment, and this week it wa revealed that Madrid are giving the youngster a new improved contract.
David Ornstein has now reported in the Athletic that his sources are telling him the Norwegian is set to remain at the Bernabeau, and Arsenal chances have “reduced substantially”.
So, Mikel’s job in the transfer window is getting tougher every day, after losing out on Buendia as well, he will have to move on to Plan C or Plan D to get the right man for the Gunners…
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