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Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Martin Odegaard on loan from Real Madrid for the rest of the season.
The Gunners have been looking for more creativity after freezing Mesut Ozil from their team and allowing him to join Fenerbahce.
Odegaard has been identified as the solution and Talks about a move to the Emirates Stadium have accelerated in recent weeks.. Now, that has materialized in a transfer.
The 22-year-old has reached an agreement with Arsenal until the end of the season after passing a doctor. He will be wearing jersey number 11.
Odegaard told Arsenal’s official website that a conversation with coach Mikel Arteta convinced him that the Emirates was the right place to be.
He said, “I spoke to him before coming here, of course. That was very important to me and he seems like a great coach and I liked his ideas, the way he sees football and also the way he is.
“It gave me a great feeling and it was important for me to come here. He was crucial.
“I think every time you go to a new place, you want to make sure that it feels good and that there is a plan. But I think everything here looks good.
“I like the club and I always liked the way the club wants to play. Everything about the club and now how the coach wants to play, I think it’s a club that suits me very well. So I think it’s a good combination. “
Odegaard also revealed that he has watched Arsenal for a long time and used to idolize one of their midfielders in particular.
“In Norway, the Premier League is really great. Since I was a kid there, we always watched all the games, my friends and I.
“I think it’s the biggest league, especially in Norway, so it has always been a dream for me to play in the Premier League and I always liked the way Arsenal played and everything related to the club. So it’s a dream come true in many ways.
“There were many [of Arsenal players I admired]. But I think that Fabregas, for me, was one of my idols when I grew up. Especially him.
“The way he controls the game, the way he dictates the game, his ability to give assists and also score goals. Everything about your game.
“I tried to learn as much as possible when I grew up watching it. He was the best player. “
Arteta and Edu excited by Odegaard
The attacking midfielder joined Real Madrid as a teenager in 2015, but has spent most of the time since on loan outside the Bernabéu.
He spent last season on loan with Real Sociedad in La Liga, impressing enough to have a return shot at Madrid. However, he was limited to just three starts in La Liga in the first half of the season.
Therefore, another loan spell was considered the correct solution for it to continue its development. Arsenal will be the one to benefit from that.
Coach Mikel Arteta told arsenal.com: “It is great that we have ensured that Martin comes with us until the end of the season.
“Martín is, of course, a player we all know very well and, although still young, he has been playing at the highest level for some time.
“Martin will provide us with quality offensive options and we are all excited to integrate him into our plans through May.”
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Technical director Edu is also ready to see what Odegaard will bring. He added: “We are delighted to welcome Martín to the club until the end of the season.
“I would like to thank everyone at Real Madrid and Martín’s representatives for their collaboration to make this transfer a reality.
“Martin is an exceptional talent and we are strengthening our team by introducing an exciting offensive player to the club during the remaining months of this season.”
READ MORE: Real Madrid legend surprised by Odegaard’s risk while criticizing Arsenal’s play
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