Real Madrid: Martin Odegaard is Carlo Ancelotti’s priority project

Norwegian Captain, Martin Odegaard is set to return to the Spanish capital after following his loan spell at Arsenal. Odegaard was signed by Real Madrid in January 2015, during Carlo Ancelotti’s first spell with Los Blancos.

It seems like the 22-year old will be given another chance to impress in the White kit this season. His loan spells have made him lose focus of the club’s fans. But, he indeed has impressed in his national outfit and had a few sparkling moments in an awful Arsenal squad this season.

The Norwegian has a lot of potential in him and that is something established for quite some time now. Fans and pundits, however, are divided upon if or if not he possesses the qualities that it takes to be a top player for one of the most competitive elite clubs in Europe. In my opinion, giving the youngster the benefit of the doubt is the best thing to right now.

Don Carlo sounds keen on having Odegaard back with the squad for the next season. And, it makes sense. Real Madrid’s midfield is undoubtedly one of Europe’s bests. But, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are both aging and are in their thirties. Modric especially could use some quality rotation. He was rested on a few occasions in the previous season too by former boss Zinedine Zidane.

Carlo Ancelotti can be the one to get the most out of Martin Odegaard at Real Madrid

Antonio Blanco has emerged through La Fabrica as an effective sporadic alternate for Carlos Casemiro in the defensive midfield role. Fede Valverde possesses the creativity and attacking abilities but there is a lack of a third rotational player and that makes the role of Martin Odegaard even more crucial.

There has been a bit of fuss concerning a recent interview of his where he said that he wanted stability in his career. Landing up with different outfits every other season and playing in different conditions can be tiresome and that is what Real Madrid should understand and give to him. A clear statement of what his role would be at the club and what exactly would be expected out of him.

Don Carlo very well could be the man for the job. He has loved working with left-footed attacking midfielders in the past. In Martin Odegaard, he not only has a similar player but also a player who first joined the club while it was under his management. And, Carlo seemingly wanting to have Ode back is a clear indicator that he is up for working with the youngster and bringing the best out of him.

Out of the aging duo of Kroos and Modric, it is the latter who more urgently needs to be found a replacement for. He is 35 right now though still going strong, age is bound to catch up. Under the disastrous financial conditions that the club recently is in, it may be wise to stop looking for a potential signing and rather look into the brilliance that is already present within the squad.

Carlo Ancelotti has had great success with Real Madrid attacking midfielders

I know we previously marked few midfielders who should be on the transfer radar, but following the reports on player’s pay cuts and Ancelotti’s 6 million net salaries, we can comprehend how low on finances the club is playing on right now.

Besides, Don Carlo has always been known for getting the best out of his attacking midfielders. James Rodriguez, Angel Di Maria can to some extent fit the list of examples. Ode is not just someone with a similar skillset as James but also he is just 22 and is yet to hit his prime. Carlo Ancelotti is the best coach he could have asked for at this point in his career.

Martin Odegaard showed shades of his brilliance with Arsenal this past season but couldn’t be the breakout. It could be blamed on Arsenal’s poor run of form that the Norwegian couldn’t get at it regularly. He did decently overall in his time at Arsenal. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if we start seeing more of him in the coming season under Ancelotti.

Given how well the Italian has done with players of the same ilk and his well-known man-management. It can be a good shout to say that Ode will be given his minutes and opportunities to prove himself at the big stage. And, success on this mission would be nothing less than a blessing for Real Madrid we desperately need someone to command the third position in the future midfield, Odegaard could be the one and hence, he is a priority project for Don Carlo.