Real Madrid News
Arsenal superstar opens up on decision to leave Real Madrid: “I needed to play regularly”
Speaking at a press conference, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has claimed that he made the right choice by leaving Real Madrid for the Gunners, even though it was always his dream to play for the Merengues.
Odegaard was signed by Real Madrid at a very young age. However, the playmaker was largely farmed out on loan during his time in Spain due to intense competition for places in the middle of the park.
While he was given a shot by Zinedine Zidane during the 2020/21 campaign, Odegaard was not very happy with the amount of minutes he received and opted to join Arsenal on loan midway through the campaign.
The move was eventually made permanent in the subsequent summer and Odegaard has not only become the face of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side, but is now also the captain of the team and has led them to the top of the Premier League table.
Currently on national team duty with Norway, who will be facing Spain in the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers, Odegaard opened up on his decision to leave Real Madrid for good and said (h/t COPE):
“There were hard moments, but the experience was good. It was a dream for me. Leaving was the right decision for me, I needed to play regularly. I am grateful for everything I experienced, but now I am very happy.”
The 24-year-old midfielder could come up against his former Real Madrid teammates Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernandez and Dani Ceballos when Norway play Spain this weekend.
Real Madrid News
Harry Kane ‘very close’ to completing Real Madrid move, only final details remain – report
Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid was finally closed earlier today as officially confirmed by Borussia Dortmund on their website. Yet, the offices at Santiago Bernabeu have not even taken a break to celebrate their success.
According to reports from Alfredo Pedullà, Los Blancos are now completely focused on the acquisition of Harry Kane. The English striker’s arrival is very close to approaching closure and only a few details remain to be sorted.
The Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur representatives reportedly held a meeting today over the striker’s transfer. The agenda was to agree on a number for the transfer fee.
The Premier League side began the proceedings with an expectation of €100 to €110 million in exchange for Kane. However, the Merengues suggested a lower point at €80 to €90 million, albeit with the option to include bonuses.
There is not much separating the two parties at the moment, and the minor gap will be bridged in the coming days. Overall, the meeting ended with a broad understanding between the two clubs.
Carlo Ancelotti sees the English striker as the centre-piece of his attack for next season given the recent departure of Karim Benzema. After all, Kane has been one of football’s most consistent goalscorers over the past decade.
Yet, Los Blancos cannot afford to let their guard down with one signing and will need to rope in at least two more names in attack to serve as backup options. The exits of Mariano Diaz, Marco Asensio, and Eden Hazard leave them with no squad depth, after all.
Kane has scored 30, 17, and 23 goals in his last three seasons in the Premier League and is the epitome of consistency. Further, he had three assists in his most recent league season and created 14 big chances.
