Arsenal closing in on deal thanks to his family’s influence | OneFootball

Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Martin Odegaard’s family helped him decide to join Arsenal this month, over an offer from Real Sociedad.

The Norwegian youngster has settled for a minimal role at the Bernabeu this season, picking up just three starts and four substitute appearances in La Liga thus far this term.

Odegaard arrived in Spain with a massive reputation, with a number of clubs courting him after he set the Norwegian division alight at the age of just 15 starring for Stromsgodset.

He made his La Liga debut at the age of 16 when coming off the bench against Getafe in May 2015, but failed to break into the first-team on a regular basis initially.

Odegaard eventually went on loan deals with Heerenveen and Vitesse Arnhem, before finally playing a key role with Real Sociedad last season in La Liga, where he made enough of an impression to be given a chance to impress Real Madrid this term, but his opportunities have come sparingly.

The 22 year-old is now looking for more regular action for the remainder of the season, and despite being offered the chance to return to Sociedad where he would likely be assured of first-team football, he and his family have supposedly earmarked a move to Arsenal instead.

Romano also claimed earlier that such a deal was a matter of hours away…

Will Arsenal have to have give Odegaard guarantees over his first-team minutes to strike a deal? Will his arrival be detrimental to the progress of Emile Smith Rowe?

Patrick