Martin Odegaard: 4 Alternatives Arsenal Considered and Where They Are Now

• Martin Odegaard has been one of Arsenal’s best and most influential players this season
• The Norwegian joined the Gunners permanently from Real Madrid at the start of the season
• Mikel Arteta also considered four other alternatives, including two Premier League stars

Martin Odegaard is in his second full season at Arsenal, having joined permanently from Real Madrid at the beginning of the 2021/22 season, after spending the previous six months on loan.

He was made captain at the start of the 2022/23 season, following the respective freezing-out and departure of former captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and interim captain, Alexandre Lacazette.

According to BBC Sport, the decision to make the deal permanent for £30m, including add-ons, was seen by many as a gamble too far.

Sports Brief looks at four alternatives that were considered and where they are now, as first analysed by Planet Football.

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1. Houssem Aouar

Arsenal had been on the Algerian’s case since 2020 and according to The Athletic, he was in the picture yet again in 2021 before Odegaard’s deal was made permanent.

Two years on, his contract at Olympique Lyonnais expires, and he will leave as a free agent. According to Roma Press, he has agreed a five-year contract to join AS Roma in the summer.

2. James Maddison

The Leicester City forward will have a year left on his current contract by the end of the season, and with the Foxes battling relegation, he could be set to depart even if they avoid a drop.

According to Sky Sports, he was touted by the Gunners as a key to solving their creative issues, but a deal failed to materialise due to the asking price of £60m.

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3. Isco

The death of a natural number 10 at Real Madrid, which plagued the likes of Mesut Ozil, Kaka, and James Rodriguez, also affected the success of Isco, as well as Odegaard in the Spanish capital.

According to Football London, Isco was seen as an alternative to Odegaard in 2021. Unfortunately, he is a free agent after Sevilla terminated his contract in December 2022, and a move to Union Berlin collapsed in January.

4. Bernardo Silva

The versatile Portuguese attacker is never far from a move away from Manchester City. The arrival of Jack Grealish in 2021 almost led him out of the club.

He stayed, and has become one of the most important players in Pep Guardiola’s team this season, as they look to win the treble- which would include pipping the Gunners to the Premier League title.

Arteta’s mistake in title race

Sports Brief also reported that Arsenal legend Paul Merson highlighted Arteta’s mistake in the Premier League title race, which ceded the advantage to Manchester City.

The Gunners had a disastrous April, drawing three consecutive games and losing to Man City. Merson specifically mentioned one error in the draw versus Southampton , and claimed that not starting Jorginho cost Arsenal the game.