Norwegian star Odegaard heads to Real
January 22, 2015
At a press conference in Madrid on Thursday, young Norwegian sensation Martin Odegaard – barely a month past his 16th birthday – made his first appearance since signing to Real Madrid, which was first made public on the club's website earlier in the day. Odegaard had previously been playing with Norwegian side Stroemgodset.
He's also played for the Norwegian national team, becoming the youngest player to play in a a European Championship qualifier in October of last year when he came on as a sub in
Liverpool, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Real's La Liga rivals Barcelona had all expressed interest in the attacking midfielder. He flew to Munich to train with Bayern last month.
"I decided on Real because I saw the best option there for my further development," Odegaard said at the press conference.
As recently as last week, FC Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge considered Bayern still in the running. Previously, he said Odegaard "was an attractive bride with many potential grooms. Maybe it will be us in the end."
The terms of Odegaard's deal with Real have not been disclosed, but Spanish media are reporting the team has agreed to pay around 3 million euros ($3.5 million) for Odegaard.
The youngster's medical examination is scheduled for Thursday, after which he is expected to give a press conference.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said on the team's website that Odegaard “is a young player with a future and bags of quality.”