Martin Ødegaard Exploring Options | OneFootball

Martin Ødegaard’s days in North London might be numbered, sources have reported to us. This is big news, as the Norwegian midfielder has been an Arsenal mainstay since his high profile $40M move from Real Madrid back in the summer of 2021.

Ødegaard’s Road to Arsenal

Ødegaard, son of professional footballer, was a prodigy who became the youngest player to start in the Norwegian top flight when he was 15. He also holds the record for youngest goal scorer. Transferring to Real Madrid after that season, he broke their record for youngest player to debut at 16 years, 157 days old.

But Ødegaard’s spell at the Bernabéu was not smooth. His playing time under manager Zinedine Zidane was limited, and the young teen rankled at the lack of opportunity.

Loan spells with Heerenveen, Vitesse (where he was named Player of the Year), and Real Sociedad (above, where he was part of the League-winning squad during the COVID delayed season) followed. In January 2021 he went on loan to Arsenal; the move was made permanent that summer.

Leader and Captain

Since 2022, Ødegaard’s worn the captain’s armband, but not always easily. In his five years at the Gunners, the side has come in second place three consecutive years.

He commented how this weighs on the team after Sunday’s loss to Manchester United: “Obviously it is a factor. But it can be a good factor as well. It gives you more fuel and more hunger and determination to get it done. I think we have experienced in all those seasons that it is a long run and a lot of things happen. Be together now. Look for the next game and bounce back.”

Bouncing back is something he’s familiar with. He has struggled with injury throughout his career, and last season was subbed off before halftime on three consecutive games due to knocks. This season shoulder and knee injuries have kept him sidelined for 11 games across all competitions. His form has clearly slipped. He has 0.34 contributions (4g/12a) per game since the 2024 season. In the two previous seasons this was 0.57 per game (23g/18a). 

What We Know…

The arrival of Eberechi Eze last summer hasn’t made his life any more comfortable, with the ex-Palace player gaining more minutes as the season progresses. Despite his public rallying for the Gunners and commitment towards their title race, we hear chatter that Ødegaard is exploring his options. Additionally, the club would look to capitalize on his high-value sale in the summer to help with PSR compliance.

His contract is through June 2028, and despite the injury history and form dip he remains among the elite midfielder ranks. Bayern Munich and Internazionale are two of the clubs we hear could be interested.