Real Madrid: Who are their three most promising players?

AM Martin Odegaard

Whereas Rodrygo Goes and Fede Valverde have been first-team players for multiple seasons, Martin Odegaard was supposed to be a first-team star in the 2020-2021 campaign after Zinedine Zidane called him back from Real Sociedad after the Champions League exit to Manchester City. Otherwise, Odegaard would have been shining for Real Sociedad for a second year running.

Now, Odegaard is headed to North London where Mikel Arteta will hope the creative La Liga star can save the day for the slumping Gunners. Odegaard nearly led La Real to a Champions League spot last season, so he is fully capable of leading a team to victory as a playmaker despite only being 22.

So why didn’t Odegaard get to play regularly at Real Madrid? Zinedine Zidane’s stubbornness, injury, and Luka Modric’s midfield brilliance all cover some aspect of that answer. We can bring up Modric and the physical ailments, but the reality is that Los Blancos messed this one up.

Madridistas know Odegaard is the future. He can be an assist leader at the Santiago Bernabeu and the kind of guy who helps unlock the full goal-scoring superstar potential of a Galactico like Kylian Mbappe or national teammate Erling Haaland. Real Madrid cannot afford to let Odegaard slip away, especially after what we saw him do in La Liga last season.