national coach Lars Lagerbeck and was
outstanding in Norway’s recent 1-1 draw
with Spain, in which one of the game’s
highlights was Odegaard nutmegging
Madrid team-mate Sergio Ramos.
With the player under contract until
2023, Madrid were keen for Odegaard,
after two loan spells
in the Eredivisie, to
step up a grade with
another temporary
move this summer.
There were offers
from Bayer Leverkusen
and Ajax, as well as
Sociedad, and although
Real Madrid thought
a move to Germany
would be better for his
development they gave
the player the freedom
to decide for himself.
With the arrival
of Eden Hazard and
Rodrygo, there was little
chance of Odegaard
returning to Madrid,
especially with thecontinued presence of Vinicius Junior,
Marco Asensio, Isco and Lucas Vazquez.
But a move to another Spanish side
allows Madrid to keep closer tabs on
their asset and gives Odegaard the
chance to shine closer to home.
Despite injuries to a number of key
players, Madrid are highly unlikely to
call time on Odegaard’s two-year loan
in San Sebastian. But the long-term
plan remains for Odegaard to return to
Madrid, and before he went to Sociedad
he signed a new deal with a release
clause of €350million.
“I’m happy here for the moment,” he
recently told ESPN. “I’m going to stay
here for two years and then we’ll see.
“My goal is to play for Madrid, but for
now La Real is the right place for me. It’s
my dream to play for Madrid, it’s what I
hope to do, so in 10 years I hope to be
at Real Madrid.
“They will always sign players. It’s
important for the club and it’s normal.
Competition is always a good thing
because they want to be the best team
in the world.”
John HolmesdaleLiga game of the season, against Getafe.
In November 2016 he made his first start
for the club, in the Copa del Rey against
third-tier Cultural Leonesa.
The plan had been for Odegaard to
train with the first team while also turning
out for Castilla, the club’s reserve side.
But his progress stalled – there were
complaints about his attitude in training
- and in January 2017 he was loaned to
Dutch side Heerenveen for 18 months.
The critics were quick to write off
Odegaard as another of the “too much,
too young” brigade. In his autobiography,
Carlo Ancelotti, who was Madrid’s coach
at the time of Odegaard’s arrival, blamed
president Florentino Perez’s obsession
with PR stunts. “When Florentino buys a
Norwegian footballer, you simply have
to accept it,” he wrote. “Furthermore, the
president decided that he would play
three games with the first team as a
public relations exercise.”
Odegaard managed to hold down
a first-team place at Heerenveen but
without ever suggesting he would return
to Madrid to challenge the galacticos.
Instead, he went out on loan again, in
the summer of 2018 to Vitesse, where he
enjoyed a stellar campaign and was the
only non Ajax or PSV player to feature
in the Eredivisie team of the season.
Odegaard was also recalled by
Highlight...beating
Sergio Ramos on
international dutyPresentation...with Emilio Butragueno on the day that he officially signed for Real Madrid
“My goal is to play for Madrid, but for
now La Real is the right place for me”
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