Chelsea and Liverpool could rival Arsenal in the race to sign Martin Odegaard in a permanent deal from Real Madrid this summer.
The Norwegian has been a hit at the north London club since arriving on loan from the Bernabeu in January.
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The Gunners have been urged to turn the midfielder’s loan stay into a permanent transfer in the summer, with Arsenal legend Ian Wright a big fan of Odegaard.
Reports claim there is no agreement on the table, though, and Odegaard is set to return to Real at the end of the season.
It’s also claimed that Arsenal are unlikely to be able afford to sign him anyway, as the Spanish giants could raise the fee as they look to raise funds for a summer rebuild.
But it appears the 22-year-old’s performances have attracted a number of Premier League rivals, with reports in Spain claiming both Liverpool and Chelsea are now interested.
Spanish outlet AS claim Arsenal have ‘two new competitors’ for Odegaard in the Reds and Blues, with Odegaard finally starting to justify his ‘wonderkid’ tag.
The young Norwegian was hailed as a generational talent when he joined Real Madrid in 2015 at the age of 16 after his emergence as one of Europe’s brightest prospects in his native Norway.
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Six years later, the jury still appears to be out at the Bernabeu and there is big uncertainty over his future with the Spanish giants.
Reports over the weekend claimed Odegaard has loved his brief spell in Arsenal so much has has indicated he wants to stay in north London beyond the end of his season.
Odegaard’s arrival in January caused a wave of excitement among Gunners fans and he endeared himself to supporters by scoring their north London derby win over Tottenham earlier this month.
The midfielder has gone from strength to strength in Mikel Arteta’s side, managing two goals in 12 appearances so far, and delivered his best display in an Arsenal shirt last weekend as they came back from a 3-0 deficit to draw with West Ham.
Real are believed to value Odegaard at around £30million, but AS report that his performances for Arsenal could increase his price tag to around £50m – which would prove a big stumbling block over a possible permanent move to the Emirates Stadium.
And the Spanish outlet claims both Chelsea and Liverpool are keeping an eye on the situation ahead of possible moves when the summer transfer window opens.
Real could yet decide that Odegaard has a future at the Bernabeu, but the club are also reportedly looking to raise funds this summer as they plot a move to make Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland their next superstar player.