Arsene Wenger has revealed he was desperate to sign a teenage Martin Odegaard before he joined Real Madrid.
The current Gunners captain was earmarked as a prodigy after he made his debut as a 15-year-old for Stromsgodset, which alerted the attention of Europe’s heavyweight clubs.
Odegaard subsequently trained with the likes of Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Arsenal before making a decision on joining a club that would best nurture his obvious talent.
Ultimately, the Norway international found it impossible to resist the temptation of joining Real and learning from his idol, Zinedine Zidane, much to the frustration of Wenger.
In conversation with one of his former players, Freddie Ljungberg, the legendary former Arsenal manager said: ‘Yes, I remember him (Odegaard) very well.
‘We did fight like mad to get him. I got him in a training session and I remember Steve Morrow brought him into training with is father.
‘He reminded me of Fabregas, good vision, good technical quality, easy with professional players in the first team.
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‘You could see something special there but in the end he has chosen to go to Real Madrid.’
Ultimately, Odegaard’s decision to join the Spanish giants backfired after he was overlooked by a succession of manager’s who were unwilling to provide him with regular first team opportunities.
A succession of loan moves ensued, but it wasn’t until a spell at Real Sociedad that he began to fulfil his potential, before he joined Arsenal in January 2021, initially on loan.
Under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, who sanctioned the move to make Odegaard’s move to north London a permanent one and the 25-year-old has now established a reputation as one of the Premier League’s best creative midfielders.
Odegaard underlined his commitment to Arsenal last year by signing a new long-term contract that will keep him at the club until 2027.
Speaking at the time, Odegaard said: ‘Signing a new contract was a really easy decision for me for lots of reasons.
‘Mainly what we are doing right now as a club is special, and I want to be a part of that. I’m really excited for what’s to come here. I’ve found a place where I can be really settled and call my home.
‘My story is a bit different maybe, as I moved around different clubs since I was 16. At Arsenal, since the first day, I’ve felt great and this is definitely my home now.
‘I just want to say thanks to everyone working at the club and of course, our fantastic supporters. I will continue to give everything to bring success to this club in the years to come.’
