He provided, no matter which way you look at it, one of the defining storylines of the 2019/20 season in Spain. Written off as a teenager and a wonderkid who failed to fulfil his potential, Martin Odegaard showed why so many were wrong about him by loaning Real Sociedad on loan this season and marking himself out as one of the best players in La Liga.
Indeed, Odegaard is finally flourishing. The Norwegian is still only 21 years old, but he made the move to Real Madrid at such a young age (16) that this season felt like something of a career renaissance. In hindsight, the pressure that was placed on a player, and a person, so young was ridiculous. Odegaard deserved time to mature at his own rate, and that is now what he has done.
Odegaard’s sensational performances for Real Sociedad this season have led to speculation that his two-season loan at the Anoeta could be cut short this summer after just one season. The Norwegian has proven himself on loan and now his parent club could recall him in order to integrate him into their new look midfield for the start of the 2020/21 campaign.
Recent reports state that Real Madrid will take a decision on Odegaard’s future after the Champions League has finished, with Los Blancos 2-1 down from their last 16 first leg against Manchester City. They have some work to do to turn the tie around and make the quarter finals.
The noises out of the Santiago Bernabeu are that Real Madrid will have to sell players before they can make moves in the transfer market this summer. That might prove quite challenging given the financial landscape across the European game at this moment and so Florentino Perez might not have much money to throw around.
Perez always recognises the importance of hype and growing excitement among the Real Madrid support and so he could recall Odegaard to do this. The Norwegian has been on the books at the Santiago Bernabeu for the last five years, but the fans haven’t yet been given a real look at him. Real Madrid could, in a way, present him as something of a new signing this summer. It might be time for Odegaard to finally prove why Los Blancos kept him around and why he should be a big part of the club’s future.
How well do you know European Football? Want to challenge the best Spanish Fantasy Managers? Play www.liga-fantasy.com now.
To leave a comment, you must be logged into www.eurofantasyleague.com