Barcelona linked with €80m Premier League star who left Real Madrid in 2021 – Report | OneFootball

The 2025/26 season is still in its early stages, but the sporting department of FC Barcelona continues to keep a close watch on potential future signings. While Hansi Flick’s side remains focused on performing consistently in La Liga and the Champions League, internal discussions about long-term planning have already begun behind the scenes.

The management knows that strengthening the squad will be crucial to sustaining success over the coming years, even if major moves are unlikely before next summer.

At present, Barcelona boast one of the most talent-packed midfields in Europe. The likes of Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Fermin Lopez, Frenkie de Jong, and Marc Casado provide both depth and diversity in style.

However, one of their key attacking midfielders, Dani Olmo, has been under scrutiny due to a noticeable dip in form and recurring injury issues that have prevented him from finding consistency. These setbacks have led the club to consider potential options who could add stability and creativity in the attacking third.

It is within this broader context that new reports from England have linked Barcelona with Arsenal’s captain, Martin Odegaard. Several English outlets, as per SPORT, have suggested that the Catalan club is showing interest in the 26-year-old Norwegian midfielder.

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The idea of Odegaard wearing the Blaugrana shirt carries an intriguing subplot given his Real Madrid past. The Norwegian joined Madrid in 2015 as one of Europe’s most promising young talents, signing for the Spanish giants.

Any such move would, however, be extremely complicated. Odegaard remains under contract with Arsenal until 2028 and serves as the captain under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners paid around €40 million plus add-ons to Real Madrid to secure his permanent transfer, and he has since become one of their most influential figures.

The €80 million-rated Norwegian’s path to prominence was long and steady, featuring loan spells at Heerenveen, Vitesse, Real Sociedad, and Arsenal before permanently joining the Gunners in 2021. His creativity, vision, and tactical intelligence have made him a central piece of Arteta’s system, even if he has occasionally faced criticism for lacking influence in the most demanding fixtures.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Barcelona have shown interest in Odegaard. Back in 2014, when he was only 15, the club invited him and his father to visit La Masia and attend a match at Camp Nou. Despite the warm reception, the young midfielder ultimately chose Real Madrid after personal talks with Zinedine Zidane.

Even with his links to Madrid and his current prominence in London, any move to Camp Nou appears highly unlikely at this stage. Odegaard’s importance to Arsenal, his long-term contract, and the current financial reality at Barcelona make such a transfer far from imminent. For now, the talk seems to be little more than early market speculation rather than a genuine plan.

For now, Barcelona remain focused on the present campaign and the group of talented midfielders already at Flick’s disposal. Although names like Odegaard may arise in early scouting discussions, Barcelona have several pressing matters to address when the next transfer window arrives.

Finding a long-term replacement for the aging Robert Lewandowski is expected to be among the top priorities, along with reinforcing the flanks and bolstering the defense following Inigo Martinez’s unexpected departure last summer.

With limited financial resources and a midfield already filled with emerging and established talent, it seems highly improbable that the Catalan club will target another high-profile midfielder in the upcoming summer transfer window.