‘Shocking’ Arsenal captain almost joined Tottenham… but ‘French legend’ stood in his way

Ahead of the North London derby, there’s some interesting news.

“Martin Ødegaard, 24, of Arsenal, could have joined Tottenham Hotspur as a teenager,” the British publication The Mirror reported on March 23. However, he was reportedly persuaded to join Real Madrid by Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane.

Ödegaard was once a “Norwegian soccer prodigy” who captured the world’s attention. He joined Real Madrid’s youth team in 2015 and rose through the ranks. He made his first-team debut in 2015, but didn’t get many opportunities. He stayed with Real Madrid until 2021, but only played 11 games. Despite his talent at a young age, he never developed enough to become a regular in the Real Madrid first team.

Naturally, he gained experience on loan at Heerenveen, Vitesse (Netherlands), and Real Sociedad before joining Arsenal on loan in 2021. After a good spell at Arsenal, he returned to Real Madrid. However, Carlo Ancelotti made it clear that he would not be playing him. Not to be outdone, Arsenal approached the player again and eventually completed the transfer.

In an Arsenal shirt, Ödegaard has realized the full potential of his youthful talent. In 112 career appearances, he has scored 27 goals and provided 15 assists. He was also recognized for his leadership and named official captain for the 2022-23 season.

He recently signed a new five-year contract with the club. Arsenal knew the value of Ödegaard and moved quickly to re-sign him, stopping the bleeding early.바카라사이트

With such an iconic Arsenal player, it’s interesting to hear that he almost joined Tottenham. Arsenal and Tottenham are the so-called “North London rivals” and have a bitter rivalry that is fought tooth and nail every game. However, Zidane’s decision to move to Real Madrid put an end to his move to Tottenham.

In the meantime, Arsenal and Tottenham will face off in the sixth round of the 2023-24 English Premier League on April 24.