Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard expects to go on loan during the winter transfer window. The footballer asked the management of the Madrid club to organize the transfer, Marca reports.
In the 2020/2021 season, the Norwegian played nine matches in all competitions. Last season he played on loan for Real Sociedad. The Norwegian footballer went on loan to Heerenveen (2017-2018) and Vitesse (2018-2019).
Martin Odegaard expressed dissatisfaction with his position in the team. Representatives of the player are urgently looking for him a new club. According to the source, the midfielder has no open conflict with Zinedine Zidane yet. At the same time, Odegaard does not want the best years of his career to spend on the bench.
It should be noted that the initiator of Odegaard’s return to Real Madrid was Zidane. Initially, his loan in San Sebastian was planned for two seasons.
Martin Odegaard played three games for the club in the starting line-up in La Liga.
Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane would prefer to keep Odegaard in the team, but most likely he will agree to the midfielder’s temporary departure. Real Sociedad, for whom he played last season, are interested in the Norwegian. Real Madrid are in second place, trailing Atletico by four points.
Odegaard – a promising youngster
When Real Madrid bought Odegaard in 2015 he was considered as one of the most promising football talents in the world. Starting his career in Strømsgodset the Norwegian youngster quickly caught attention from the European top football clubs and Real Madrid beat every club in the transfer battle.
It should be noted that while we are witnessing a golden era in Norwegian football, back in 2015 there were not many strong and promising players. The emergence of Odegaard was something unique for the Nordic country.
His popularity spread rapidly. Various outlets and newspapers started talking about him. Even the Norwegian gambling industry, which was also in the shadows at that time was affected. In the country, Norwegian sports odds websites started promoting and popularizing Odegaard. Everyone understood that it was only a matter of time before the 16-year-old ended up in a top team and these websites quickly provided the list of possible teams. From ordinary citizens to big companies – each of them were trying their best to popularize Odegaard.
What went wrong for Odegaard at Real Madrid?
However, not everything went as perfectly as it was planned. Odegaard failed to establish himself in the team and it is difficult to blame everything on him. He was very young and the competition for taking place in Real’s starting line-up was incredible. The Madrid club’s midfield was untouchable – Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Casemiro created a formidable trio and of course Odegaard, despite his talent, was not able to replace any of these players.
When he moved to Real Sociedad in 2019 on loan, experts quickly understood why Real Madrid purchased this player. He became one of the leaders in Sociedad. Alongside other talents – Mikel Oyarzabal, Alexander Isak, Willian Jose – Odegaard was dictating the tempo of the team and was a central figure in the attack. During the 2019/2020 season, Odegaard played in 31 matches and scored 4 goals.
Initially, his loan was planned for 2 years, but the progress he made in Sociedad, persuaded Real to get back the Norwegian player. As it turns out, the decision was a mistake. It was better to leave Odegaard one more year in Real Sociedad because Martin now has another competitor – Fede Valverde, who is destined to be a future star for Real Madrid.
Confidence is another key issue we can point out. When you move to a team like Real Madrid, you are constantly under pressure – especially if you are considered a talent. We have an example of Luka Jovic, who went on loan to Eintracht and already managed to score a double. Odegaard is 22 – it is still a young age and he has a lot to learn. The limited-time he is given from Zidane should be used to its maximum. Otherwise, it will be difficult for him to have any progress.
What is the future for Odegaard?
Right now it would be a brilliant idea to let the Norwegian player go on loan for any team, but Sociedad would be the best option because he has already played for the San Sebastian side and perfectly fits in their style. Spending valuable time and years on the bench would only damage a player’s talent and confidence. Luka Modric is already in his twilight years, Toni Kroos is not a youngster anymore. With Valverde and Odegaard Real Madrid have a formidable duo that is capable of creating a midfield even better, that managed to win 3 Champions League titles in a row.