Barcelona have identified Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard as a ‘surprise’ transfer target for 2026, according to a report, as TEAMtalk explains the chances of a blockbuster deal being struck.
The 26-year-old remains a vital player for Mikel Arteta, both on the pitch and off it as a leader in the changing room, and would be a huge loss should he be lured from the Emirates.
Odegaard has missed Arsenal’s last three Premier League games with a knee injury, and even though he hasn’t started games consistently this term, his importance cannot be understated.
But according to a shock report from Fichajes, Barcelona have ‘set their sights’ on signing Odegaard, and their plan is to make a big move for him next summer.
Manager Hansi Flick is said to view Odegaard as a player who could ‘enhance his attacking rotation’, and he has not been put off by the fact that a ‘significant investment’ would be required to sign him.
The report adds that Barcelona will be forced to pay a ‘hefty fee’ for the Norwegian international, and any deal would be ‘complex.’
However, Barcelona reportedly take confidence from the belief that Odegaard wants to take the ‘next step’ in his career, which Fichajes suggests could be a move to the Catalan giants.
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Arsenal have no intention of letting Martin Odegaard go
Odegaard has been linked with moves away from Arsenal before, but the first thing to note is that Fichajes is not the most reliable of outlets, so their reporting must be taken with a large pinch of salt.
The Arsenal playmaker is also a product of Real Madrid’s academy – Barcelona’s bitter rivals. Odegaard spent six years with Madrid at the beginning of his career, before a loan to Arsenal in 2021 and his subsequent permanent signing for £30m.
A move to Barcelona would therefore be controversial for this reason.
The Catalans also don’t have the spending power they once did. Their financial problems have been well documented over recent seasons, so significant player sales would likely be required before they could afford to sign Odegaard.
Barcelona also have several stars who already play in Odegaard’s position, such as Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo, so are likely to have other transfer priorities.
But the biggest obstacle to a transfer is Arsenal – they will not want to lose their skipper any time soon, so only a HUGE bid would force them to consider it.
Odegaard is contracted at the Emirates until 2028, so Arsenal are under absolutely no pressure to sell him. He also earns a mammoth £240,000 per week with the Gunners, according to Capology, and it’s unlikely Barcelona would be able to match that without offloading some of their top earners first.
Arteta is a huge admirer of Odegaard, so it would make no sense for him to let him go.
“Martin has got hundreds of qualities and everybody who has come across him will notice them very quickly,” Arteta said in an interview earlier this season.
“The biggest one is that to be named captain, to be respected and especially admired by somebody, he doesn’t need to shout. That’s a massive quality. A lot of people talk and shout, and then when you close the door, they do something very different.
“Martin doesn’t need to open his mouth and everybody says ‘he’s my captain, I want him to represent, I trust him 100 per cent, he’s the guy I want to have next to me.'”
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Meanwhile, Arsenal and Barcelona are reportedly keeping tabs on the development of Lacine Megnan-Pave, who has been described as the next big thing in French football.
The 15-year-old has ‘explosive potential’ and is already playing at U19 level for Montpellier, and the two clubs are ‘actively monitoring’ him.
In other news, reputed journalist David Ornstein has named Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe as Arsenal’s ‘dream’ signing.
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