Martin Ødegaard is still an option for Arsenal this summer, and he’s likely to be the club’s backup if they fail to sign James Maddison.

Arsenal's Martin Odegaard and Brighton and Hove Albion's Yves Bissouma battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday, May 23, 2021. Copyright: Alastair Grant
Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard and Brighton and Hove Albion’s Yves Bissouma battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday, May 23, 2021. Copyright: Alastair Grant

Football.London report that Martin Ødegaard is still an option for Arsenal this summer, with Real Madrid open to letting the midfielder leave for the right price. However, the Gunners are only likely to turn to Ødegaard if they fail to land James Maddison.

Ødegaard is likely to be significantly cheaper than Maddison, according to the same report. That’s likely why Arsenal feel it’s a realistic deal to do later in the window as a backup option.

In terms of the pure price comparison, Leicester City reportedly want upwards of £60m for Maddison. A recent report from ESPN suggested Real would not rule out an Ødegaard departure for €50m (£42.5m). Some English sources have hinted he could cost even less.

TheAFCBell claim Arsenal began preparatory work on Maddison before they even signed Ødegaard on loan, so Maddison remains the number one option. But Ødegaard is a viable alternative and talks could restart if the Maddison deal falls through.

The big plus here is that it looks like Arsenal do intend to pursue an attacking midfielder in the final weeks of the window. It certainly looks necessary at the moment.