Arsenal star considers sensational £80m exit amid 'concrete interest' from Bayern Munich and Interplaceholder image
Arsenal star considers sensational £80m exit amid 'concrete interest' from Bayern Munich and Inter | Getty Images
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is said to be considering an exit from the club with Bayern Munich and Inter Milan circling
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is ‘seriously considering’ leaving the Emirates Stadium in the coming months with reports from Spain claiming there is ‘concrete interest’ from Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
The former Real Madrid man joined Arsenal in 2021 from the Spanish giants. He recently celebrated his 27th birthday and is under contract in North London until the summer of 2028.
However, Fichajes claims Bayern boss Vincent Kompany wants him to help rebuild their midfield while Inter see him as an ‘ideal partner’ to increase the output of their forward players.
The Gunners want £80m for the Norwegian international if they are to sell, which would make him the club’s record sale. Odegaard has been impacted by injury more frequently in the last two campaigns but still retains an important role.
He has played 222 times for Mikel Arteta’s side, scoring 42 goals an providing 43 assists.
Odegaard has been the captain of the club since the summer of 2022, as he was handed the armband when he was just 23-years-old. Selling Odegaard, per the report, could ‘provide vital relief in complying with the Premier League's strict Profit and Sustainability rules’ which makes a sale more likely.
It remains to be seen if Bayern or Inter will meet Arsenal’s demands. The Gunners do not have a great track record when it comes to selling players, with Premier League rivals such as Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool selling players for big profit, which in turn helps them stay on the right side of PSR.
This season Odegaard has one goal and five assists in 21 appearances in the Premier League and Champions League.
He has come in for criticism at times. During the summer, former Gunners captain Tony Adams publicly said that Declan Rice should take over as captain.
Mikel Arteta responded to those comments, saying back in August: "I asked them to vote the captain and I got the result yesterday. And by a mile, by a big, big 100 miles, everybody choosing the same person, which is Martin Odegaard, and which is the most clear sign that you can have.
"It's how they feel about who has to be their captain to defend, improve and win the matches that we want to win. So I think there's no question about that."
Odegaard himself was asked about them a few weeks later, and offered a mature response, as he said: "I don’t care that much, to be honest. Everyone can have their opinion and say what they want, and I’m all right with that. I can’t care about what everyone says.
"There’s a lot of negative and positive things to say, but I can’t let it affect me. That’s what I’ve thought throughout my career."
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