Arsenal give up on their hopes of signing Real Madrid star

Arsenal wanted to build their midfield around Martin Odegaard, but the Gunners have reluctantly given up on their pursuit of the Real Madrid star. 

Martin Odegaard’s time at Arsenal last season firmly established him as Mikel Arteta’s first choice to serve as the Gunners’ midfield talisman. Unfortunately, that dream won’t become a reality for the North London Club.

According to Football London, Arsenal officials believe that Odegaard is “increasingly likely” to stay put at Real Madrid this summer. That’s a clear disappointment to club officials who wanted to see him return on a permanent basis, but the good news for Gunners supporters is that the club have already moved on to their next target.

Arsenal have already made inquiries on what might be required to sign Leicester star James Maddison. Predictably, the Foxes want big money for their midfield star. The Gunners are investigating the idea of using one of their young players to help defray some of the potential cost.

Will James Maddison be headed to Arsenal?

If Arteta really covets the English midfielder then odds are the two clubs can get a deal done. That doesn’t mean it will come together quickly.

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers will hem and haw at the idea of giving up his midfield metronome. That means Foxes officials will work hard to extract every bit of compensation possible from Arsenal if they’re to give Maddison up.

Even so, the Gunners have the right combination of financial power and intriguing young players to get a deal over the line. If Leicester are smart, they’ll insist that Joe Willock be included as a makeweight. Receiving Willock plus a fee in the neighborhood of £50 million would represent a solid transfer win for Leicester.

It would also be good business. Maddison is just the sort of young, English player that Arteta needs to build around for the long haul. He may not have quite the upside that Odegaard possesses, but he’s already a proven Premier League commodity. Arsenal should do what’s required to land him this summer.