Martin Odegaard picks Real Madrid over Arsenal

Really such a shame, he will end up getting no chance at all in the first team, and eventually end up at QPR a wasted talent. He and his father should have recognised what Arsenal can do for both of them. Here he would have been given a fair chance.

We weren't even close though. Martin has been on a massive tour of Europe visiting all the top clubs (and those known for nurturing talent) incl. Real, Barca, Bayern, Dortmund, Arsenal, Ajax, Liverpool, Man Utd (I think) so on and so forth. His favorite british team is Liverpool, so if he'd gone to PL I see no reason whatsoever for him to join us. From his perspective we are a rivaling club (to his favorite) with tons of attacking midfielders in the first team, and also great talent in our youth squad (Zelalem first of all, who for all we know could be just as good as Martin, but has less exposure since he is already at a top club and not for sale). Indeed we are known for featuring young players and give them chances, but the competition would be massive to get first team experience, and Liverpool are no strangers of using youngsters either. In addition to this, the Premier League isn't a very good arena for a young and small technician to evolve into full potential.

As a Norwegian I would LOVE to have him at Arsenal (no Norwegian has played here since my birth with the exception of Håvard Nordtveit who never reached his potential). But to be fair, I can't argue with his decision not to do so. On a personal level I also kind of hope he join a smaller club so that he has a larger chance of becoming a world-class footballer and then again winning Norway the world-cup single-handedly...

To be honest I don't think favourite clubs are that important to professional footballers. I think the most important part is getting a fair chance. Sure, Liverpool give youngsters a chance, but no club on the planet offers such opportunity for young players at Arsenal. We are the only club at this level who are reluctant to solve problems through the transfer market, and the only club who gives even mediocre talent a fair chance.

I think he made a huge mistake. Real Madrid are absolutely awful at promoting internal talent, compared to Arsenal. It's the biggest club on the planet with very delicate on-pitch politics. One single error and you're out. That's not how we do things at Arsenal.

He'll probably just end up like Robinho.

P.S. 2:36 HE WAS MADE FOR ARSENAL

After watching Martins Norwegian press conference I think his comments made it quite clear that Zenedine Zidane was the decisive factor that made him choose Real.

I can translate some more comments if you are interested, but since he's not available for Arsenal any more I won't do it you don't find it interesting.

After watching Martins Norwegian press conference I think his comments made it quite clear that Zenedine Zidane was the decisive factor that made him choose Real. I can translate some more comments if you are interested, but since he's not available for Arsenal any more I won't do it you don't find it interesting.

I'd like to hear it, even though his career is basically already over. ;)

On when he decided that he would join Real Madrid:

I don't want to comment exactly when the decision was made, but it was a well documented [laughs] process where we visited a lot of clubs, after which we made a decision. I think I made the right choice and I am happy about it now that its over.

On his impression of the Segunda B division (Where Castilla plays) compared to the Norwegian league:

I haven't watched any games yet, but I have trained with them and it is a very high quality squad and of course a fantastic coach who has been one of the worlds greatest players. So I think it will work out fine.

On the fact that he is going to become rich at a young age:

I don't want to comment on my personal economy because it hasn't been a subject for me at all [in this decision]. I never spoke about money with any of the clubs I visited, I only focused on what was best for my development as a player

On what Real can offer for his development that others can't:

They have a training culture that is the best you can get, and they have a B-squad coached by one of the greatest football players of all times.

On his impression of the other clubs he visited:

As stated earlier I went through this process because I considered this to be the most important decision I would ever make, and then it is beneficial to get to know the different opportunities I had. I don't want to comment specifics, but overall I can say it was very educational.

If it was a hard decision or if Real Madrid stood out as the obvious option:

I think I have made the right decision and I am happy about it, so I don't want to comment any more on that.

On the importance of having his father join him to Madrid:

That's very important. I am only 16 years old, so I don't think it would be good for me to live there alone.

On his Spanish:

I had a class in Spanish at school from when I was 13 to 15, so I know the basics, but I don't speak it very well. I will have to practice. (When asked to demonstrate he laughed, and politely refused the opportunity)

On Zidane's impact on his decision:

As stated, it is of course a huge advantage that one of the greatest ever football players will be my coach. So that has obviously been important.

On when he might play his first match for the B-squad:

I will move to Spain later this week, and will start training with them after that, so we'll see. There is no fixed date yet.

On resting on his laurels after signing a big contract:

I'm not the kind of guy that will be pleased with what I have achieved so far, and quite frankly I doubt I will ever settle and say "now I am good enough".

On his plans if he should fail to reach the A-squad of Real Madrid:

European football is full of players that went through the Real Madrid youth academy, so it won't be the end of the world should I not develop as well as they expect me to. My goal is of course to make it, and I will put down the effort in training to reach that goal, but my career won't be over if they don't find me good enough for the A-squad

Overall he appeared calm, humble and was diplomatic in his answers. He elegantly slipped past the press' tough questions and at the same time came across as a very mature and sympathetic character.

The grammar might not be perfect in the translations, but I think it gets the point across.