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Former Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez has shed light on the reason behind the Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard failing to breakthrough at the LaLiga outfit. The Spanish manager was in charge of Los Blancos for a seven-month period between 2015 and 2016, which coincided with when Odegaard joined the club.
Real Madrid paid a reported €4 million to sign Odegaard from Norwegian outfit Stromsgodset in 2015 aged just 16, and he trained with the first team and Castilla. The Norwegian youngster was considered to be among the top prospects in European football, but his career never took off under Benitez or his successor at the club Carlo Ancelotti.
Odegaard has insinuated in recent months that he did not get a look-in during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, a claim to which Benitez has responded. Speaking with VG, the former Liverpool and Chelsea tactician revealed that Odegaard had come into a very good Madrid team at a very young age and could not break in.
"I'd say he's been very matured. I like the way he behaves. He has personality and is a real leader. In Real Madrid, he was too young on a team of big names. But I'm not surprised, but very happy that he has taken those steps," said the Spaniard.
Martin Odegaard endured loan moves to Heerenveen, Vitesse, Real Sociedad, and Arsenal before joining the Gunners permanently in 2021. Now 25, the Norwegian midfielder was named Arsenal captain in 2022 and has retained the captaincy since then.
Having trained alongside the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric at Real Madrid, Odegaard is reaping the benefits in his Arsenal career, seeing as he is among the Premier League's best creators. The midfielder made 11 senior appearances for the Spanish giants and has gone on to play 162 times for the Gunners already.
Arsenal may repeat Odegaard trick with Real Madrid for Guler - Reports
Arsenal may look to repeat the trick they carried out with Martin Odegaard on Real Madrid with teenage star Arda Guler. The Turkish midfielder has struggled for game time since his arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu despite his obvious talent, leading to links to other sides.
Spanish outlet SPORT have linked 19-year-old midfielder Guler with a move to Mikel Arteta's side, who are said to be keen to take him on loan. This will afford them the opportunity to assess his quality and adaptability to English football before potentially joining permanently.
The Gunners have done similar business with Los Blancos in the past with Odegaard and Dani Ceballos, the latter of whom did not sign permanently. With only 486 minutes of game time this season, Guler could be open to a move.
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Edited by Ritwik Kumar