Martin Odegaard asks to leave Real Madrid this month

Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard is tipped for another move away from the club after growing frustrated at his lack of chances since returning to the Bernabeu this season. He may already be eyeing a loan return Real Sociedad, where he spent last season.

Odegaard joined Real at the age of 16 in January 2015, having been the subject of interest from many of Europe’s biggest clubs – including Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, and became the club’s youngest ever player later that season.

However, the Norway international has spent the last few years getting chances elsewhere on loan, first at Heerenveen, then at Vitesse Arnhem and most recently in San Sebastian in 2019/20.

The latter of those spells highlighted his ability to make an impact in La Liga and he returned to Madrid ahead of the 2020/21 campaign ready to finally make a breakthrough there.

Despite Real’s struggles as Zinedine Zidane tries to oversee a transitional period, Odegaard hasn’t been given the chances he craves. The 22-year-old has started only three La Liga games and has only had five minutes since returning from a brief injury absence in mid-December.

According to Marca, Odegaard is no longer willing to accept it and has asked for a new loan away. AS suggests that it is not a snap or impulsive decision and is something the player has been weighing up for a number of weeks, having been sold a different reality on his return to what he is experiencing.

A follow up report from AS suggests that Odegaard specifically wants to re-join Real Sociedad and has already been in touch with the Basque club and some of his former teammates. The final straw in his decision to push for a transfer is to have been being left out of the squad chosen for Wednesday night's Copa del Rey tie against lower league club Alcoyano.

It is specified as a loan rather than a transfer suggests he is still determined to make it with Real in the long-term, having chosen them at the expense of so many others in 2015.

But much to the player’s likely frustration, Zidane may refuse to let him go midway through the season. Odegaard’s return from loan in summer acted like a new signing when Real Madrid didn’t bring anyone else during a difficult off-season and it is said that Zidane would prefer to at least retain numbers in central attacking positions in the event of an injury crisis.

Odegaard is still under contract in Madrid until the summer of 2023.

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