Arsenal Sign Ødegaard for £30 million

With a little over a week left before the transfer window deadline, Arsenal have signed 22-year old Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid for a reported fee of £30 million. The deal was agreed earlier this week.

Odegaard’s new five-year contract replaced his loan agreement from last season. In his six months as a loanee at the Emirates, he scored two goals and provided the assists for two more in his 20 appearances.

Odegaard’s contract comes right before Arsenal’s first home game of the season, where they will play Chelsea, though it appears that “visa issues” will prevent him from making his season debut for Arsenal this Sunday. He could have been central to the starting line-up.

Arteta has treated signing Odegaard as a priority in this window, especially as creativity has been identified as a “problem area” in the attacking third. And following Joe Willock’s departure to Newcastle, an incoming attacking midfielder was necessary.

Hopefully, the Norway captain will continue to bring his much-needed creativity to Arsenal’s midfield.