ohboy!!! wrote:
Ricky1985 wrote:

Isn't a first refusal a clause that says Real Madrid have to offer him to us for £30m in the event they decide to sell next summer? I don't see the obligation.

Regardless of the details, I'm warming a lot to this idea. He's techncially and tactically a dream footballer, the only thing that has me concerned is exactly how we'll line up. I'd really like to see Arteta go for it and play Smith Rowe and Ødegaard ahead of Partey, with 3 attackers ahead of them. It's way more likely Smith Rowe goes out to the left and Ødegaard plays as the 10. I'd really like to see us move away from that set-up. It might be more open defensively, but bloody go for it. It gets another goalscorer in the front 3 then, and two decent goal threats in midfield.  Xhaka can be back up to Partey or play when we're maybe outgunned and an extra holding midfielder is called for.

Fully agreed

Saka       Smith-Rowe         Pepe

                        Odegaard 
             Partey

Would be ideal.

Hopefully it frees up money to go for another midfielder like Guimaraes/Tchouameni.

If we're going to play Partey as the deepest CM then why not go whole hog

Saka                         Pepe
         ESR      MO
              Partey

That's way too adventurous for Arteta. And we are not going anyway with Pepe in our starting XI.

Its time to start thinking beyond Arteta.

Be happy with a loan deal for Odegaard in case our new manager doesn’t fancy him.

Looks like we will have our man soon. Madrid tier 1 source reports that negotiations very advanced and Odegarrd is training seperately now while waiting for his move here to be completed

Yep loads of reports saying it’s pretty much done. Rewatched his highlights with us and had forgotten how good his control of the ball is. A welcome addition

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

Yep loads of reports saying it’s pretty much done.  Rewatched his highlights with us and had forgotten how good his control of the ball is. A welcome addition

Cue the Maddison lovers lamenting on how shit Odegaard is..  😆

Hopefully we still have cash to address the striker and right back problem

————————————-Leno
Inanimate carbon rod—-White—-Gabriel——Tierney
————————————Partey
———————Odegaard———-Maddison
———Saka ————Aubameyang————Smith Rowe

That's pretty much the same team as last season that finished 8th.

When Ødegaard and Smith Rowe came into the team after Christmas, that team won more points in the remaining 20 league games than all but Man City, right? Add White, Maddison, and ICR and maybe you're statement isn't the negative one you intended?

I have my doubts about Odegaard but beggers can’t be choosers, he definitely ups the quality and by the sounds of it I reckon it’ll be a good deal. Like his attitude too.

At least some good news in a terrible summer. Never thought I'd see a local boy join Arsenal. Been seven years since I wishlisted him now:

But goon knew better when he signed for RM. 😆

Ricky1985 wrote:

When Ødegaard and Smith Rowe came into the team after Christmas, that team won more points in the remaining 20 league games than all but Man City, right? Add White, Maddison, and ICR and maybe you're statement isn't the negative one you intended?

Yeah you're right, I'm shocked we didn't win the league.

from pornstein

Arsenal are close to agreeing a deal with Real Madrid for the permanent transfer of Martin Odegaard.

Although a deal has not yet been finalised, it is understood that Odegaard did not train with the main first-team group at Real on Tuesday, ahead of a possible transfer.

Odegaard returned to Spain following a six-month loan spell with Arsenal, where he made 20 appearances and scored two goals.

He has featured for Real in pre-season, under new manager Carlo Ancelotti, but was not included in their match-day squad for the 4-1 victory over Alaves at the weekend.

Despite joining Real in 2015 as a highly-coveted 17-year-old, Odegaard has only made eight league appearances for the Spanish giants. The 22-year-old spent time on loan at Dutch sides Heerenveen and Vitesse, as well as Real Sociedad, before making the temporary move to Arsenal in January.

Odegaard made his Norway debut in 2014 and has gone on to win 30 caps for his country, scoring once. He captained the side during the last set of international friendlies in June.

Quincy Abeyie wrote:

At least some good news in a terrible summer. Never thought I'd see a local boy join Arsenal. Been seven years since I wishlisted him now:

But goon knew better when he signed for RM. 😆

I surprise myself with just how ahead of the curve I am.

i should be excited by this, i rate him, but the ramsdale thing and the fact that we extended xhaka has me feeling really dispirited