Arsenal are planning to submit a formal bid for Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard this summer. The player spent the latter half of the 20/21 season at the Emirates and was very happy with his time there.

According to Fabrizio Romano, he would love to rejoin Arsenal this summer. The Gunners have him locked down as the target for their number 10 position, and want to recruit him on a permanent basis. Real Madrid are yet to give the transfer the green light, but given their varied options in midfield, Odegaard could end up moving back to England.

At the end of last season, Madrid and Arsenal reportedly had a meeting. While the Premier League club wanted to keep Odegaard for longer, Madrid insisted that he would be a part of their plans for the upcoming season. And so, he has spent the preseason with Los Blancos ahead of the new campaign under Carlo Ancelotti.

Martin Ødegaard would love to re-join Arsenal. He was really happy during his loan spell last season and he’s waiting for Arsenal bid to be accepted by Real Madrid, once the green light arrives. ⚪️🇳🇴 #AFC

Ødegaard has a great relationship with Arteta and board members too.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 13, 2021

However, playing time is something very important for Odegaard and should he believe that he will be favoured at the Emirates over Real Madrid, a move to Arsenal could work out in favour of all the parties involved.

There were rumours that Arsenal were bidding for Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, but a deal between them has never been close. Houssem Aouar was also on the list for Arsenal alongside Manuel Locatelli of Sassuolo but Odegaard was always the priority after his impressive loan deal.