Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has revealed why he snubbed Manchester United and other clubs before signing for Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2015.
With the footballing world at his feet, the then-16-year-old turned down interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs before arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu. Odegaard had been tipped for the very top from the moment he emerged on the scene in Norway.
Despite remaining the youngest player to ever feature for Real in a competitive match, things did not go to plan entirely during a six-year stay in the Spanish capital. However, after signing permanently for Arsenal last summer, Odegaard seems to be making up for lost time.
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Aged 24, the playmaker is now captain for club and country. However, had his blossoming career turned out differently, he might have pitched up in the Premier League sooner - with United in the race for his signature when Real edged out Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool and others.
Odegaard was pressed on the interest in him throughout his career when speaking to The Players' Tribune. He said: "My dad handled everything with the clubs and there were a lot.
"We went to Bayern, Dortmund, Manchester United, Liverpool, Madrid, Arsenal, too. We got flown around in private planes and made to feel special.
"I'm not just saying this... I was actually close to choosing Arsenal [before moving to Real]," Odegaard added: "I talked about it a lot with my dad and the rest of my family. Madrid is Madrid.
"They were the Champions League holders with the best players in the world - but the really key thing about Madrid's offer was that they had a B team where I could play competitive football immediately.
"And the manager of that team? Zinedine Zidane. It felt like the total package. We'd been speaking about the decision for so long, as it was so hard to turn down all these other amazing clubs."
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