Will Real Madrid regret selling Odegaard to Arsenal?

David Adán ODEGAARD The Norwegian has led Arsenal's charge to the top of the Premier League ON FIRE

[{"selector":"#anim-77e9071e-f522-4c85-ac1f-f53568f126db","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6e512bd0-ecc5-4026-8243-bf30e06d5502 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(3.6082471411770554%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] Academy graduates aren’t given time at Real Madrid, where the demands are sky high. Martin Odegaard left in 2021, and now he’s a star.

[{"selector":"#anim-7230d92b-3f79-4c07-baf2-f4a5498ad2b6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4a8f0f1d-4737-4865-a6bb-4c4d0db272a5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-7.006369165867909%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] Odegaard, Achraf Hakimi, Marcos Llorente… A number of former Madrid youth-team players have flourished since leaving the Bernabéu.

[{"selector":"#anim-00351635-9700-4c8f-913d-faf43cb8b6bc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 196.92869%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-52c907da-7f98-4430-861a-fad8fd75d065 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(10.71022703431846%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] Odegaard, 24, is the Premier League’s new star. He has eight goals and five assists for Arsenal this term - more than the whole of last season.

[{"selector":"#anim-e1feb520-4bbd-4998-8b52-69595cd7f674","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 172.53844%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1f84f7d3-0dc6-4576-8d90-8519df6d7cc5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 4.273105557943721%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] With the Norwegian pulling the strings, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are flying. The Gunners now lead the English top flight by eight points.

[{"selector":"#anim-888ca0bf-b3e7-4007-b34e-df85d1768fe9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fd6d372c-cfba-434c-9904-336ca3add6ac [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(7.41324895294172%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] Odegaard left Norway to join Madrid in a €2m deal 2015, but never got a proper chance to establish himself in Los Blancos’ first team.

[{"selector":"#anim-6a10857e-5641-4272-b1ad-5ad1d3ca3291","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c072985f-193c-408a-98f7-8b587def7293 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, 7.760782355151471e-15%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] He played 11 times for the club, totalling less than 500 minutes on the pitch. After several loan moves, he ended up signing for Arsenal for €35m.

[{"selector":"#anim-00361e60-3fcb-490d-835a-99eb8b9f129c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dafc7039-838b-4664-a230-229f222ee98b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-7.680250526904462%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] Odegaard has truly arrived as a player in North London. His market worth has risen to €60m, making him the Premier League’s 25th-most valuable star.

[{"selector":"#anim-ec727625-7372-4033-95a8-91be6afdeb9d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 196.92869%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-781d288c-4530-474e-b174-408b398d6e71 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-7.943924978450219%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] Operating at No. 10 or in central midfield, he’s excelled. He’s played a total of 83 times for Arsenal, scoring 17 times and supplying 12 assists.

[{"selector":"#anim-e39515a5-d3f9-4431-99fb-8ffd584c67be","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-55a5cf4b-f24a-41ea-b162-801d84b08151 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0, -9.01639294524909%, 0)","translate3d(0, 0%, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] Odegaard made his Norway debut in 2014, at just 15. He’s now won 47 caps and is the team’s skipper. He’s only scored twice, though.

[{"selector":"#anim-84eb96ac-8d31-4ef6-ac5f-63ff97303650","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 167.66036%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9d8240f3-28ed-4297-b57c-9e93dd284c53 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(18.71777458855798%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":6000,"fill":"both"}] With Odegaard and Erling Haaland in their ranks, the Norwegians are targeting qualification for their first major tournament since 2000.

[{"selector":"#anim-ab88edef-77c6-4a35-871b-725e0d7ddec3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 170.91239%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b5b415d-ca1f-457a-95bd-a6c510384de6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.9009009009009009)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"fill":"forwards"}] Will Madrid come to rue selling Odegaard? They may well have Jude Bellingham in their midfield ranks next season - but he’ll be very expensive.