we got to test drive him and yet you all still want him. wow, arsenal these days. i can't take it anymore.

The talent is there and it was evident in spells through time with us which was his first six months in a new country playing for a dysfunctional side. As he settles and becomes more comfortable with the team around him and his surroundings, he will get better and has the world class potential that this squad is lacking.

Sounds like what was being said about a certain Dani Ceballos

Didn't really see anything special in Odegaard to be fair. Didn't set the place alight. We shouldn't waste money on him either, already wasted it on Ben White and foolishly extended Xhaka. Almost a triple crown in stupidity with Ramsdale too.

He’s too slow in his actions. Need someone with more gusto and umph

He's great. Would easily be among our 3-4 best players.

I think so too. Harsh to judge him on his injury riddled 5 months here which were on the back of a handful of minutes for Real. He is technically secure and has a great attitude. He can play on the counter and in front of deep lying defences. The ball sticks to his feet. He has great vision and can control tempo. He isn't very athletic but he showed intelligence in abundance. I also believe he has the potential to increase his output. He wasn't shot shy nor did he hang yards from the box. Just 22. Improving the pace of his game and his movement is on the coach. If he does come hope Arteta can do it. I just don't know if it's not him or Maddison, then who do we look at.

Rohit wrote:

I think so too. Harsh to judge him on his injury riddled 5 months here which were on the back of a handful of minutes for Real. He is technically secure and has a great attitude. He can play on the counter and in front of deep lying defences. The ball sticks to his feet. He has great vision and can control tempo. He isn't very athletic but he showed intelligence in abundance. I also believe he has the potential to increase his output. He wasn't shot shy nor did he hang yards from the box. Just 22. Improving the pace of his game and his movement is on the coach. If he does come hope Arteta can do it. I just don't know if it's not him or Maddison, then who do we look at.

That's exactly it. The ball sticks to his feet like glue, he makes the right and quick decision on the ball, and he works hard off the ball. He's what you'd want in a modern team. Maddison is a good player, who'll probably score more goals than Ødegaard, but Ødegaard is on a completely different level as a footballer. Far better.

Feel there's some significant Norwegian bias going on here.

Bit excessive but overall he's right. I like Maddison but he doesn't have Odegaard's ceiling. He'd cost a lot more, he's two years older and has played fewer minutes in his career even if Leicester have managed his minutes well, I also remember reading somewhere that his hip injury seems to be a serious concern for his career. Even if they're at a comparable level right now in terms of a potential transfer the choice is easy.

You can pick your poison, but odegaard being on a completely different level to Maddison is drugs talk.

For my money, Maddison is far better and will remain so, but we'll see in ten years I guess.

Odegaard on a different level to Maddison is drugs talk but Maddison far better than Odegaard isn't? That's either significant English bias going on or you've been hitting that same pipe

Captain wrote:

Feel there's some significant Norwegian bias going on here.

Of course not..

jones wrote:

Odegaard on a different level to Maddison is drugs talk but Maddison far better than Odegaard isn't? That's either significant English bias going on or you've been hitting that same pipe

Absolutely.

"You can pick your poison, but Ødegaard being far better is drugs talk. Btw Maddison is far better"

B Silva is better than both. That's all that really matters.

I don't blame him but this is what recent underperformance has cost us. Under Wenger we realistically could've got him.

Wilson wrote:

I don't blame him but this is what recent underperformance has cost us. Under Wenger we realistically could've got him.

Ah, more revisionism.

Even if Wenger isn't our current problem, he was certainly a problem towards the end of his reign. Let's not forget that. This ship was sinking before he left, so I have little doubt that if he were still our manager, the current predicament wouldn't be much, if at all, better.

Don Pacifico wrote:

Wilson wrote:

I don't blame him but this is what recent underperformance has cost us. Under Wenger we realistically could've got him.

Ah, more revisionism.

Even if Wenger isn't our current problem, he was certainly a problem towards the end of his reign. Let's not forget that. This ship was sinking before he left, so I have little doubt that if he were still our manager, the current predicament wouldn't be much, if at all, better.

Yeah, the ship was sinking, I agree. He did deliver CL football though until the last couple of years, and his name did help with getting players. Silva coming here doesn't feel out of place among Ozil, Sanchez, Auba, Cazorla. Our draw is lower today than Wenger's final years.

The problem is that Wenger was the bailing bucket, while many thought he was captain.

Wilson wrote:

Don Pacifico wrote:

Ah, more revisionism.

Even if Wenger isn't our current problem, he was certainly a problem towards the end of his reign. Let's not forget that. This ship was sinking before he left, so I have little doubt that if he were still our manager, the current predicament wouldn't be much, if at all, better.

Yeah, the ship was sinking, I agree. He did deliver CL football though until the last couple of years, and his name did help with getting players. Silva coming here doesn't feel out of place among Ozil, Sanchez, Auba, Cazorla. Our draw is lower today than Wenger's final years.

I think that's only true because we're further along in the timeline.

In terms of the draw of our managers, we still managed to bring in Partey last summer, so I'm not sure how much difference it makes. Silva is disinterested because we're not in the Champions League (or even close), so I'd posit that we still hold appeal based on our prestige but are losing out based on our league position.

Stupid stupid Arsenal , what happens when we wait for Odegaard and our secondary targets move on .. then Real decide to keep him and we are stuck with Xhaka and Elneny and lose Willock.

Or , he is the only target left and Real rinse our pockets for him

So what's a better move then? Just buy whoever you can easily get?

No , just don't be chasing Odegaard all the way to the end of the window and then get desperate and pay over the odds for him or not get him at all. He isn't that great a player.

Better than anyone else we've been linked with.

Real did not register him for the new season. Expect a load of link to him now

If we can't negotiate a good fee in light of this news and convince the lad to join - we are truly hopeless.

If that is true then this should happen and soon enough, unless Real attach an obnoxious price tag to him.

Gazza M wrote:

HomeSteak wrote:

Real did not register him for the new season. Expect a load of link to him now

is that true? I saw a Spanish journo say varane was still included in the squad list you're referring to, and odegaard and ceballos weren't. might just be a dodgy list

That might be the case, will look it up. I saw a post from that cringe tv show they have over there saying he was not, and he has no number, not present on la liga website either, you cannot buy a shirt with his name and all that.

Tier 2 for Real.

Summary: Isco, Mariano, Marcelo and Jovic are for sale but no offers have arrived for them. From the players that RM have received offers for, Odegaard seems to be the most likely to be sold.
Only one with offers to buy is Odegaard. Jose Angel Sanchez really wants to sell him because he feels Arribas is a much better player. He also told Ancelotti this.

I find that interesting, this is a pretty poor squad for Real standards, in the middle of the pitch they are fucked, the starters are old or very old like Modric. Almost all of them are injured and still, they don't want to keep Odegaard.

GooneriC wrote:

No , just don't be chasing Odegaard all the way to the end of the window and then get desperate and pay over the odds for him or not get him at all. He isn't that great a player.

But he will be pretty great soon. Maddison is probably ahead of him at the moment but I don't expect that to last if Odegaard moves somewhere where he gets consistent game time.

Martin Oh Dear God

Gurgen wrote:

GooneriC wrote:

No , just don't be chasing Odegaard all the way to the end of the window and then get desperate and pay over the odds for him or not get him at all. He isn't that great a player.

But he will be pretty great soon. Maddison is probably ahead of him at the moment but I don't expect that to last if Odegaard moves somewhere where he gets consistent game time.

Yeah would agree with this. Odegaard is not your traditional goal or assist getter he is more of an indirect influence. The pre assist guy that links everyone together. He will be great once he fully adapts

I honestly think he has the game to get numbers. In his time here he took shots, didn't pass them up. He didn't hang yards from the box either. It's mainly about movement with him I feel if he has to score more. Arteta said this of ESR last season, that the staff expects goals from him in his position and they will work with Ødegaard on the same. I am quite certain he has assists in him if not goals. He is a really good passer and sees the game well. Ødegaard is a multiplier kind of a player. He will improve the team around him. We definitely need him or Maddison. Just hope we can get it done soon.