Real Madrid: 3 takeaways from Martin Odegaard’s loan to Arsenal

Martin Odegaard won’t stay with Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta worked hard to convince the Norwegian attacking midfielder to join his squad this winter, and there was even some reporting about how Arsenal could keep him permanently. But was that really reporting or wistful thinking? Was Odegaard actually mad at Zinedine Zidane and more trusting of Arteta, or was he swindled by a few vague (read: empty) promises from a manager who has his storied club languishing in the mid-table?

Let’s just come right out and say it. Martin Odegaard is too good for Arsenal. The Gunners are a prestigious club with some very talented players. But they have some work to do and some big-picture problems to sort out. Their manager is a question mark, their defense is shambolic, their squad is still unbalanced, and their owner is comically inept.

Odegaard’s ambitions have always seemingly been to stand out at Real Madrid. And maybe his situation this season would have been better if he toughed it out at Real, given the extent of the injuries the club has faced and the Norwegian’s own lingering patellar issues that Zinedine Zidane was likely wary of when making lineup decisions.

I don’t know how big of a role Odegaard will play for Los Blancos next season, but I do know that he can’t keep wasting his time with Arsenal. They don’t know how to maximize his skill-set or the skill-sets of any of their players, for that matter. At least if he has bumps in the road for Real next season, he’ll know those were down to him not quite being at the necessary level yet. I think this loan spell has taught him to take some accountability for his play instead of potentially blaming Zizou, just as Kubo’s loans to Villarreal and Getafe were tough lessons for the other talented left-footed loanee.