Norwegian International Martin Odegaard joined Real Madrid back in 2015 when he was 16 years of age. He was anticipated to become Los Blancos star player in the future, but things didn’t go well for the midfielder during his tenure at Real Madrid. He never got the chance to break into Real Madrid’s first team, as he was loaned to four different clubs in the span of 6 years.
In last season’s winter transfer window, Arsenal showed keen interest to bring Odegaard to the Emirates. Negotiations went well for the Gunners and, they were able to recruit him for six months on a loan deal. Wasting no time, Martin Odegaard instantly became a key player in Arsenal’s squad. He blended well with the whole Arsenal team and was terrific in terms of his performance. He was also named Arsenal’s player of the month in March 2021.
Following his end of tenure with Arsenal, Martin Odegaard went back to his parent club Real Madrid. In this season’s summer transfer window, Arsenal were fortunate enough to sign Odegaard on a permanent deal worth £30 Million for four years with an option to extend for a fifth.
In a recent interview with TV2, the now-Arsenal midfielder admitted that during his time at Real Madrid, making friends was difficult. He also revealed that he is now happy with his new club, Arsenal.
Odegaard said that “There were many tough periods both with the first team and the second team (at Real). But being around the best made me stronger. I feel that I have grown thanks to Madrid and I have learned from players like (Sergio) Ramos and Cristiano (Ronaldo).”
“When you are at the highest level, it is not as easy to make friends and that kind of thing. At least not when you are young and come from somewhere else.”
“I came from a different dressing room culture and it is not easy to fit into a changing room [like the one at Madrid].”
When asked how much of a difference there is between the Arsenal and Real Madrid locker rooms, Odegaard stated that “It’s quite large, I would say”
“I think it’s a bit like that in the biggest clubs. It gets a little more scattered and all that.”
“I’m very happy where I am now, a very nice dressing room and a good bunch. It’s nice and easy to thrive.”
Odegaard is currently on international duty with his country, Norway. The Løvene will face Turkey and Montenegro in the ongoing FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
