Martin Odegaard has already captured the hearts of Arsenal fans, and in recent weeks the focus has turned to whether or not his loan deal from Real Madrid could be made permanent in the summer.
However, recent reports emerging from the Spanish capital may have dented any hopes of the Norwegian extending his stay in north London.
Marca claim his parent club Real Madrid 'do not contemplate a transfer' for Odegaard this summer, which suggests they are looking to hold onto the 22-year-old.
Despite only joining the Gunners as recently as the end of January, the attacking midfielder has already made more first-team appearances for the north London club than he has for Los Blancos, whom he signed for in 2015.
The player himself has talked about the need for 'stability' at this stage in his career and insists that at least for now, he is happy at Arsenal. If Real Madrid are indeed keen on keeping the player on their books, judging by the way Odegaard has described his experience with the club so far, you get the feeling they would need to outline what his exact role would be going forward.
While this report will feel like a blow to those who wish to see the Gunners complete his permanent transfer in the summer, it is worth considering that his parent club may be exaggerating their stance in the hope of receiving the highest transfer fee possible. A lot could change between now and the summer transfer window.
As recently as last month, Sport claimed Odegaard would prefer to follow in the footsteps of Dani Ceballos and spend a second season on loan with Mikel Arteta's side than return to the Bernabeu and work under Zinedine Zidane.
If the Frenchman is to remain in the hot seat at Real Madrid, the onus is on him and those behind the scenes to regain the player's trust if they want him to return willingly.
Source : 90min